Persona: Duality
by Sraosha
Summary: Amara Furaha is an aspiring artist living in the grand metropolis known as New Motus City. However, she winds up in another world, and is faced by unholy creatures - the Shadows. She, along with many others, will begin a journey to eliminate the Shadows, and put a stop to the organisation that has jeopardised the saftey of her beloved city, whilst trying to live an ordinary life.
1. Chapter 1: A Strange Fortune

**AN: **Thank you for reading this story, and please review! Before anyone asks, no I do not accept forms for OCs. Most of the characters here are entirely my own creation. The Shin Megami Tensei series, as well as Persona, belong to Atlus. Enjoy!

* * *

_**Shin Megami Tensei: Persona**_

_**Duality**_

_If events throughout history had turned out differently, what would have become of our world?  
_

_People often wonder about 'what ifs', but there is only one path one can follow.  
_

_The flow of time can change rapidly if just one thing changes in that stream._

_And with that, a new stream begins alongside the first stream. Such is reality._

_Now, several unconnected souls shall be forever linked as they shall discover another reality of their world. An entirely different city than the utopia they know and love. A power not given to them, but coming from within, shall emerge, and the two streams will finally interact. If unchecked, reality itself may be forever lost..._

**Chapter 1: A Strange Fortune**

_New Motus City - Farawell District, Falcon View Apartments_

It was an ordinary day in Farawell, the most historic part of the metropolis of New Motus. The City had existed for many years, and had constantly changed and grown over time. Farawell was the first town to be built on the island, also named Motus, and was originally a simple farming village. It later evolved into the heart of the city, that unified the other five areas of the city into one nation. None of the farms remained after five long centuries, but as people gathered, the district remained full of life, much like the other wards of New Motus City. It was June 2012, and the warm weather and bright skies made the city skyline something of a marvel to behold. Most of the skyscrapers graced the sky, boasting remarkable architecture, and the landmarks of the city were all memorable - thus, tourists flocked here in all seasons.

The Falcon View Apartments had only been open for five months after a lengthy construction period, but it had already had a influx of people moving in. Most of them were young adults, who merely saw the apartment as a stepping stone. They worked or studied by day, and partied all night. One of those people was the young Amara Furaha. She was not born in the city, but had lived there most of her life. She originally came from Egypt, yet she had very little memories of her hometown. Her skin was a healthy tanned shade, helped by her love of sunbathing, and her eyes were a bright blue. Like most Egyptian people, her hair was a luxurious black, which she usually kept in a messy ponytail. An optimistic young lady, she always looked forward to the future, even if things didn't go according to plan. Then again, she never usually _had _a plan beyond 'go paint, then go and have a drink with the girls'.

Today, she was to start her first new job after graduation - as an illustrator for the new magazine, Real People. From her understanding, the magazine was targeted towards teenagers, and the overall aim was to help them improve their lives and not dread the future. It had already gathered some interest, so the pressure was on. Amara went to bed early the previous night, after a long conversation with her father. She fell asleep during said conversation, much to her father's amusement. For the first time in ten years, Amara woke up before her alarm clock - by five seconds.

"Five seconds. Awesome! And I didn't have any freaky dreams this time." Amara said, grinning. As she got dressed into her favourite purple top and jeans - and considered the possibility she had too many purple clothes - she thought about what she just said. _Freaky dream...yeah, I still remember the last one.  
_

She rarely remembered her dreams - apart from the one where she was painting whilst on a roller coaster - but there was one that stood out. Only a few days ago, actually. It was a nightmare…Amara was falling through an endless sea of darkness, with several voices calling her name. They felt familiar, somehow. One voice in particular, she wanted to cry when she heard it. Yet, she couldn't remember the voices when she woke up. The worst part was, she wanted to call out someone's name. Someone that was very important to her. Yet even that had faded from her memory, too.

"Who was I calling for?" Amara said out loud. At the time, she hadn't thought about it much, as she focused on her job application to Real People. For some reason, today it was a lot more vivid.

_Why now? I don't get it..._

Her thoughts were all over the place as she entered the main room of her apartment. Making a mental note to tidy up all the paintbrushes and drawings scattered all over the place (although she had planned to do this since April) she finally got ready for the day ahead of her. Her friends from art college had all found good jobs since graduation, and finally, Amara could be like them. She should have been over the moon, eager to work as an artist. Yet, the dream kept coming back to her.

Waiting outside on Scarlet Street for the bus, Amara still couldn't escape from the dream. She briefly considered purchasing a book on dream symbolism, but it'd probably just say something like her life lacked direction. Or she was worried about forgetting someone close to her. An old lady waiting beside her gave her a sympathetic look, but Amara didn't respond. Still, it felt nice that someone was worried about her. The bus arrived after what felt like an aeon - except it had only taken five minutes.

"Come on, stop thinking about it..." she said to herelf, as she got on the No 14 Bus.

_On the No. 14 Bus_

Amara felt a bit better after sitting down on the elegant red seat - and as ever, it was the window seat. The bus system of New Motus City was still as popular as ever, despite fears of a price increase earlier in the year. Amara still remembered the failed protest outside the bus station, where someone tried to lock themself in the bus, and failed to even open the door. At the time, her friends suggested she get a car. Even though her father offered to pay for lessons, she had never been interested in driving. At the moment, the bus was crossing the Silvana Bridge in the Legarte district. Looking at the city's reflection on the water brought back powerful memories of her first days in the city, when she was seven years old.

Amara was a bright and cheerful child, who had made many friends in her hometown of Cairo. When her parents told her they were moving - for good - she couldn't bear it. She threw tantrums, tried to get away, and eventually just broke down in tears as she was dragged onto the plane. She remembered wailing as she pounded on the airplane window, desperate to get out and go back to her school. Amara finally got tired from crying so much, and sulked until they got in the taxi to take them to their new home. When they left the airport and entered the city, Amara was still furious, but the place she was determined to hate, in the vain attempt her parents would take her home, was amazing to her. So many things she had never seen back home. The crowds of people, the immense buildings, the gorgeous river, and everywhere one looked, it would have made a great painting.

"Well, Amara, do you still want to go home?" Amara's father, Rudo, asked her. Her mother pointed to the Caramathia Department Store as they headed towards Nova Albion, the most opulent and aristocratic area of the city. Her father was a rather rich man, having just become the leader of a successful oil company. Yet, he always had time to spend with his 'favourite women' - not so he could have a good reputation, but because he genuinely wanted his daughter to grow up happy. That was what drived him to success, or so he often told her.

"Not anymore! Daddy, this place is great! I can't wait to see my new school!" Her parents smiled, as the young Amara smiled, taking in the sights. She had seen pictures of the city before, but seeing everything in person was just so much more inviting. "But can I really make new friends here? I miss everyone back home." she asked. Her dad nodded, and gave Amara a warm hug. Then, he held her hand, and said...

"Amara, of course you can. You'll meet tons of people like you here. You'll have so many things to write to your old friends about. One day in this city, you'll be able to fulfil your dreams. Whatever those dreams are, you can make them happen in this city. I promise."

Fourteen years had passed since then, and even though she no longer lived with her father, she still took every word he said to heart. Perhaps now, she could fulfill her dreams of being an artist. She gradually lost contact with her old friends, but she had made many new ones throughout her life. Even one very special man...but that relationship ended in heartbreak. That had been a few months back - now she was looking forward to a new chapter in her life. Hopefully, she could meet good people at her job, and it wouldn't be as demeaning as her job at the milkshake stand. She _never_ wanted to be asked how much the 'One Dollar Special' cost again.

Just as the bus was at the end of the bridge, Amara thought one of the high school students getting on the bus was staring at her. A tall blonde girl, with a strange, almost mystical necklace. _I'm sure I've seen that thing somewhere before. Maybe it was on sale in Rosa Candida. _She was with a boy, who had messy black hair and glasses, and was in a wheelchair. Amara listened to them talking, just in case they had noticed something odd like smeared makeup. Alas, all they were just talking were "spirit points" and "campaigns". Amara shrugged, and continued to stare out the window. Smiling at the children screaming for their parents to purchase novelty balloons, she had a good feeling about going to her new job. She would see to it that her father's wishes came true.

_Motion Publishing, First Floor, Real People Offices_

This was the first time Amara had ever entered the Motion Publishing building. An impressive sight to behold, with over twenty stories, and a large rest area outside. Before today, she just passed it on the bus, but now she finally got the chance to enter the magnificent offices. Motion Publishing was a very successful organisation, with many publications under their belt. Real People was new, so their offices were small compared to the grander titles, but Amara didn't care. Just being here was incredible enough.

After taking the glass elevator to the 14th floor, she was finally at the office. It was small and simple, but she had a good vibe from the surroundings. With the bright blue carpet and white walls, it felt like a nice place to work. The first one to stand up was a tall brunette woman, dressed in a smart black shirt and skirt. Her blue eyes lit up as she recognised Amara - it was Karen Marshall, the editor of the magazine.

"Hello, Ms Marshall!" Amara said, running over. "I'm not too late, am I?"

"Amara, welcome! You're actually early…by five seconds! Good girl!" she said, shaking Amara's hand. "I had a good feeling when I interviewed you! I like a girl who takes her work seriously! Now come on and meet the rest of the team!" Amara smiled, as Karen dragged her to her co-workers. Most of them seemed normal people. There was Colette, the blonde and somewhat ditzy girl in charge of the fashion column. She was talking at length about Amara's purple top, and suggested wearing a skirt with it. Then there was Juan, a black haired boy from Brazil who was writing the travel section. He was the only male working here, which seemed to fill him with confidence.

Amara liked them, but wasn't too keen on Lucille, the assitant editor. She didn't smile or even say hello, and just seemed rather annoyed at something. Perhaps she just didn't like how informal Karen was being. One girl in particular, however, really stood out. She wasn't normal at all...

"Hello there, Miss Furaha."

Her enchanting voice seemed to echo within Amara's mind. The woman stared at Amara, with her piercing purple eyes._ Are those contacts?. _The young woman had turquoise hair, with even her eyebrows matching. The strangeness of this lady didn't stop there, as she had an oddly fetching purple turban, a stylish black and purple cloak, and shoes with purple skull designs on them. She even had some black gloves on. _Is she some kind of shaman? A witch? Or - damn, I've already run out of witch terms. Wait! Sorceress! Seer! Those work too, right?  
_

"This is Stella Cleon. She writes our Psychic Corner section." Karen said, with great enthusiasm. "You might have heard of her store in Kanaloa." _Now that she mentioned it, I saw fliers with her name on them before. She's supposed to predict the future without fail. So this is Stella Cleon, the true psychic. _Amara stared at Stella, unsure what to say. Stella just smiled, with a glint in her eyes. "Stella gave me a good reading during the interview, which is why I chose her. That and no one else applied for the position, so...I hired her on the spot!" Karen said, laughing, as Stella just smirked, clearly confident.

"Oh, it's...nice to meet you!" Amara said, feeling nervous. She had not forseen working with a psychic, although Stella might well have forseen this. No one else seemed to mind Stella's strange attire - had they gone to her store before? Kanaloa was a rather rough area, known for violence and drunkards, so she hadn't looked around before. Stella didn't look like a thug, though. Hopefully, there wouldn't be any trouble. "Well guys, glad to be part of the team. Let's make this magazine a success!"

"Haha! Settle down, Amara. Motivation is my job. Nice to see you've got a good attitude, though. Right, time for us to get started on the first issue. Get to work!" With that, Karen walked into her office. Amara started to ease into the atmosphere a little, and look out her favourite drawing tools. Amongst them was a picture of her and her former boyfriend.

_Why do I still have this? I thought I decided I wasn't going to think about him again...  
_

Quickly, Amara hid the picture in her pocket and got to work. Lucille spent most of the time looking at everyone's work, making sure everything was just the way she wanted it. Every time she criticised something Amara did, she felt the urge to slap her. She never did like being told how to draw. Actually, she hated people trying to control her in general. Freedom was something very dear to Amara, and she wanted to hold on to it as much as she could.

"You know, I wasn't sure about this job at first, but I checked Karen out. Turns out she's done a lot of journalism work in the past." Colette said. "And she has such great taste in clothing! Oh my god, I must get fashion tips from her!" Amara politely laughed, but she was more interested in Stella. She quietly typed on her computer, whilst occasionally shutting her eyes. _Is she for real? _Juan was eagerly discussing his own travels to Bratislava, but for some reason the idea of pork dumplings with sheep's cheese didn't take her mind off Stella.

Finally, it was four o'clock, and time to go home. "Good work, Amara! I loved your sketches…even the one of Johan wearing a polar bear costume!" Karen said, as she left the office. Colette and Johan said bye, and the former gave Amara her phone number, in case they ever wanted to hang out. Lucy just gave them a dirty look, and left in silence. Checking her messages, she had several from her father - mostly of them good luck messages, a few silly jokes about the clients he was dealing with today - but not any others. Before Amara could leave as well, someone grabbed her arm.

"Wait, do not leave just yet..."

"Hey, what's going on?" Amara said. Stella…what did she want? She just stared, no longer smiling. This time, she was serious. Amara looked around, hoping someone else would intervene, but no one appeared. _Crap, I'm trapped in an office with a weird psychic lady. This is not cool. Is she gonna trap me in a mirror?_

"Amara, from the moment we met, you have been sceptical. You try to ignore the paranormal, instead only concentrating on what you can see. Yet, I cannot leave tonight without doing this. My otherworldly contacts are insistent. I want - no, _must_ - give you a reading!" she said. Amara just sighed, annoyed. "Sit down. This is free of charge, by the way. Put aside your purse." Stella said. Amara had made absolutely no move to get out her purse.

"What - come on, do we have to do this now?" Amara said. "Alright, let's get this over with. I'm not sure I believe this stuff, and I want to talk to my dad." Sitting down on the chair Amara had already spent hours sketching at, she waited for whatever fortune telling implement Stella was going to bring out. "So, what are you gonna use? Crystal ball? Cards? Crystals? Or can you tell my future using tea leaves?"

Stella looked aghast, like someone had burnt her turban. "Your doubts will be cleared soon. That, I can feel. Now, hold out your hand. Today, my insight is as clear as summer's sky." _The hell is this?_ She took Amara's palm, and began moving her own hand over it, eyes closed. A few uncomfortable seconds later, and Stella gasped.

"What?!" Amara shouted.

"Amara Furaha, you are the bearer of the Sun. Today, on the seventh day of the sixth month, you will encounter shadows of immense darkness." Stella said, her eyes staring into space. Amara just sat there, in disbelief.

_Is this some kind of pep talk?_

"To pierce through that darkness, you must embrace your inner self. You will meet with others who will face this ordeal as well. One strong of heart, and one with the moon's pale light. Tonight, Amara, you will truly open the door to another world!" Stella said, her voice booming throughout the office.

"Um..." Amara was about to question this premonition, but Stella suddenly stood up. Shaking, she gave Amara one of her cards, with the logo for her psychic parlour on it. "You okay?"

"I'm not sure. I've never had such a clear reading before. Yet it was so vague. Amara, I do apologise. Please, tell me what happens tomorrow. Be careful...I have a bad feeling about this." With that, Stella dashed outside, and Amara just sat there, lost for words. Finally, she put the card in her bag, and shrugged. Staring out the window for a while, she tried to forget about the reading and focus on something innocuous like the rain, or replying to her father's messages.

"Damn! Why does she have to be so weird?!" Amara shouted. No matter how she tried, her mind kept wandering to the reading. "Inner self? Another world? What the bloody hell does that mean? Am I gonna have another dream? Ugh!" Amara shuddered at the though of another nightmare. The one of her falling through endless darkness was bad enough. What could be worse than that? Stella said she had a bad feeling, but Amara just wanted to forget about the incident. Frustrated, she stormed out of the office and started to head home, hoping for a normal night.

Yet, tonight would be nothing but normal.


	2. Chapter 2: From Door to Door

**Chapter 2: From Door to Door**

As she left the building, Amara was still angry and confused about the mysterious reading. _What was all that about darkness and other worlds? _Amara had never really cared about psychic things before, but now she really didn't want to deal with them. Since she would have to work with Stella for the near future, this situation was unlikely to be a one-off. Amara didn't exact relish this prospect - the idea of having ominous warnings being thrown at her on a daily basis was not exactly fun. "So I have to work with her from now on. Damn!" Hopefully, tonight would be a normal night, and there would be nothing to worry about. As far as Amara knew, Stella would just try to find any little incident and exaggerate it. Perhaps she could have some fun with this after all...

"Oh, right! I forgot!" Amara remembered there was something very important that she had promised to do. Quickly, she took out her phone and dialed her father's cell. Hopefully, he wouldn't be too busy. Even if he was, he usually would find some time to spare to talk to his 'favourite daughter'. Of course, Amara would point out she was his only daughter, and his reply would be 'exactly'. Rudo Furaha was probably anxious to find out what Amara's day had been like, and if she forgot to get in touch, he would waste no time in giving her a guilt trip (mostly as a joke, however).

With just one ring, Rudo took the call.

"Ah! So my little angel's finally found the time to call her worried father! Looks like they're working you hard, young lady!" Her father said, with a hearty laughter.

"Oh, it's not that bad. I bet I have it easier than your employees do, anyway!" Amara said, giggling.

"Oi! What kind of boss do you take me for, missy?" Her father said, and from the tone of his voice, he was in a playful mood. "Anyway, tell me all about your day. You've been looking forward to this job a lot, after all. It's all you've been talking about the last month!"

"It's been really good, dad! My boss is pretty cool - like you. Her name's Karen, and she's so nice to everyone. She's good at keeping us working, too..." Amara said. "I didn't get a chance to slack off at all."

"That's a good thing, you know. Work hard, and you never know what might happen. You might just get to open that art gallery someday." Her father said, a little stern. "So what about your colleagues? No one tried to pour a milkshake over your head this time, did they?"

"That was a one-off, Dad, and in their defence it was dark and I was right next to the waste bin. Anyway, they're all pretty cool! There's Colette, who's the fashion columnist and Juan, the travel columnist. They're both okay, from what I can tell." Amara said, launching into a full discussion about the airheaded fashion fanatic and the womanizing travel guru. "But then there's Lucy - I don't really like her. She's such a pain. She never smiles, she never talks to anyone except Karen, and she's always telling me want to do! I hate it! Just like at school, when the teachers always told me not to paint my own way!"

"Don't get upset, Amara, it's not that bad. She's probably just thinking about the magazine as a whole. You have to just cope with it. Remember, me and Tomas didn't get on well at all when we first met. After a while, it turned out we had a lot in common, and we became friends. Now then, who else is working with you? No one dangerous, I hope?" Rudo said.

"Um...no, no one else really comes to mind! I'll tell you about it on Sunday, though!" Amara said, now nervous. "I'm coming over for dinner, like we promised!"

"Alright, I'm looking forward to seeing it. My little girl's all grown up. I'm so happy! Have a good evening, Amara!" With that, he hung up.

She felt guilty. The reading Stella gave her really scared her, but she didn't want to get her father into a panic as well. When she was younger, her father was very protective, frequently scaring away any bullies that dared to mock her race or her hobbies. If she was frightened, Rudo wouldn't leave her side until she wasn't afraid anymore. The last thing she wanted was her father going berserk, threatening legal action against Stella for her ominous reading. Besides, the reading would most likely come to nothing, or be merely metaphorical.

"Maybe I'll walk home. It might calm me down." Amara said. It was good weather, after all, so it was a fine day for a walk.

_Legarte, Outside the Mall_

Legarte was one of the city's most popular districts, home to many popular stores and a thriving harbour. Amara left the area, and as she was walking past the gigantic Solar Ray Mall, she overheard a man with red curly hair complaining to a tall blonde haired woman. He was wearing a rather fetching and fitted blue business suit, which Amara imagined had been rather expensive. She was wearing a more casual - in comparison - outfit that consisted of a green blazer and a black skirt, complete with black high heels. Next to them was a very expensive looking car, the kind only the social elite could afford. Amara had no idea what make it was, but she had never been interested in automobiles either. An exorbitant car like that was just a status symbol, and nothing more. Or at least, that's what her father used to say - not that it stopped him buying them.

"_Argh!_ Of all the days for the car to break down!" the man growled, sulking. He was clutching a shiny leather briefcase with gold lining, and from the way he was shaking it, Amara expected it to burst open any second. "To think that I saved up for ages to afford that bloody thing! Just because I was willing to pay a lot of money, they treat me like a fool! They must have sold me the worst car they had to rip me off. I can't believe this! I never have any luck with these things..."

"I know, honey, it's a real shame. You were so excited when we got it, too. Listen, I know what will make you feel better." the woman said. She gave the man a quick peck on the cheek, which seemed to lessen his grimace. "Cheer up, I'll cook you your favourite meal tonight. My chicken casserole always gets you in a good mood!" She smiled as she said this, and Amara raised her eyebrow. _Can one casserole really cheer him up that much? Guy looks like he needs five anger management sessions! _Just then, she realised she shouldn't be staring at the couple, so she quickly pulled out her phone and pretended to be looking through her texts. Luckily, neither of the two had noticed her at all.

"Well, that does sounds perfect. Especially after the day I've had. I had all those sudden meetings in the morning, then Joe Kowalski comes in an hour later _again_! Then I had to fire that manager for breaching confidentiality. And to top it off, some thug from Kanaloa was spray painting rude words and male parts on the wall! Those vandals have no respect for society! I swear, it's..."

The man continued rambling, looking more and more angry with every word. Amara just rolled her eyes and kept going. While it was rather terrible behaviour, he came across as a rather snobbish man, like most of the citizens of Nova Albion. He was probably from there, actually. In fact, he looked somewhat like the current CEO of Albion Incorporated, Reginal Albion. She was glad she lived in Farawell now. It was more welcoming, and less pretentious. For a budding artist, it felt more like her scene.

As she reached Farawell, something caught Amara's eye. Outside the newly constructed convention centre was a memorial plaque. _That's right!_ _Ten years ago, that was when..._

The memorial was for a fairly recent disaster, during a networking and electronics expo. It was held in a convention centre that stood where the modern one did, but the old one was a bit smaller. Many reputable companies were there that day, unveiling magnificent new advances in the field. One of those companies was the once popular Aeternus, a networking company that constantly tried innovative and unorthodox methods to further the world wide web. Amara was there with her father, who was a sponsor for Aeternus at the time.

Yet, during the Aeternus demonstration, there was a huge explosion, that killed many of the people in attendance. Amara and her father were lucky to survive, but she wound up in a coma for several weeks. After her recovery, she couldn't remember the incident at all. _Could I really have died that day? _Amara asked herself, as she walked over to the plaque. Over a hundred names were engraved. It was a solemn feeling, knowing that she narrowly escaped being on that list. Thakfully, no one she knew perished in the accident. In the aftermath of the disaster, Aeternus were blamed, and quickly shut down. Their name quickly vanished from history, and it was as if they had never existed.

Amara spent a long while staring into space, thinking back to her life ten years ago. Whenever she let nostalgia take over, her mind wandered all over the place. She finally turned around, ready to go home.

"Oh!"

To Amara's surprise, a blonde girl with wide green eyes was standing in front of her. When she caught Amara's gaze, she quickly looked off to the side. This girl looked like she was around high school age, and she had a rather dazzling blue necklace on. She seemed especially curious in Amara's ankh, however. The girl didn't speak, but it seemed like she was trying to find the right words. _Who is this girl? I think I saw her on the bus this morning..._

"Sorry, I'll leave you be! Nice necklace, by the way!"

Amara quickly left, but she could have sworn she felt the other girl staring at her. "What gives?" Amara said. "I'm not THAT popular, am I?" Eventually, Amara arrived at her house. "I'm hungry. Time for another microwaved dinner...fun fun fun." She said to herself, as she checked her watch. Then, she noticed a bunch of construction workers across the road, putting up the sign for a new bar - "Another World".

"Ha! Oh my god, that's brilliant!" Amara said, getting a few odd looks from the builders. Amara laughed. "So her premonition was about some new bar! Sweet! I'll have to buy her a drink someone!" Giggling, Amara ran up to her apartment, in a better mood. Now she could just have dinner and get to bed, making today the start of an exciting new job. "Maybe they've come up with a cocktail called 'Darkness'..." she said, smiling.

Yet, when Amara checked her fridge, she cursed out loud. Once again, she had forgotten to get any dinner. She didn't even have any ready meals. Perhaps she needed to go shopping more often. Sighing, she left the apartment and was about to exit the building. Before she could however, she stopped. A huge pain suddenly resonated deep within Amara's body, and quickly spread. It was like...something was trying to escape from Amara's body. Something that would stop at nothing to be free.

"Argh! Oww...stop! Stop it!"

The pain was almost unreal. It wasn't like heartburn, or indigestion, or anything she had had before - it was like a constant throb of pain. Something enormous was trying to break free from her body, and it was getting harder to stop it. Amara wondered if she was going to have a heart attack - or if she was having one right now.

"Damn…stop, please...just stop!" After a few seconds, Amara felt normal again. "Phew. That was weird." She left the apartment block, and before she could hit the corner store, she noticed an odd person in front of her. They were dressed completely in black, with a hooded coat covering their face. Amara couldn't even make out what gender they were. It didn't seem like Stella playing a joke - they were a bit taller than she was. Looking more closely, the body looked more masculine.

"Um...can I help you? Sir?" Amara asked. The man did not reply, but instead took a card out of his pocket, and flung it at Amara, then he started running away. "Hey, what the hell?" Amara picked the card off the ground, and in bold red letters, it read:

**FOLLOW ME.**

"Huh? Why?" Amara shouted. No one else was around, and the man was still running. Without thinking, she ran after the man. It felt like an instinct...she had to find out what this was.

"What gives?" she screamed. "What do you want? Get back here!" The man didn't respond, and continued to run, until finally, he stopped outside an abandoned warehouse. It was used by a company long ago, but it had been unused for ten years - shortly after the accident, actually. Normally, Amara would have given up and just turned back, but something felt different today. She had to follow him. It was instinct, perhaps.

"What the fuck is this?" Amara shouted. She wasn't normally the type to swear, but she was confused as hell by now. Perhaps this was related to the psychic reading. "Did Stella put you up to this?" The man simply turned around, and unlocked the door. Then, he threw the key at Amara, and ran into the darkness. Clearly, he wasn't the social type. Yet he wanted Amara to follow him, for some reason.

"Eew, it stinks in here!" Amara said, as she stepped inside. Using her cell phone as a flashlight, she could make out the thick dust all over the place, and pieces of broken plastic and glass on the floor. Treading carefully, she made her way to the staircase - she could see footprints leading that way. To her astonishment, a thing long sword with a green tassel was lying on the first step. Most likely, the cloaked stranger had left it here.

"Am I supposed to take this?" Amara said. If she was caught with this, she could get charged for possessing a sword without a licence. And she sure as hell didn't get once of those from art college. In fact, she had no idea how you'd get permission for it. This wasn't a replica sword guys put on their walls to impress women...this was real. She picked it up, and slowly walked upstairs. She couldn't see a thing, but just she then a pale flickering blue light came from across the hall. Without another thought, she burst into the room to see...

A giant doorway in the middle of the room. It was a silver, mechanical looking doorway, with lots of red blinking lights at the side, and a number panel to the side. And the doorway had a giant blue light in the centre, as if it would lead directly into the surreal glow. "What's this? Where'd that guy go?" Amara asked. No response.

"Oh shit..." Amara was stuck in an abandoned warehouse, where all sorts of shady goings on could be happening. A weird man had brought her here, and Amara knew she shouldn't have followed, but she felt compelled too. "But why?" Amara asked herself. There was still time to leave, but she wanted to see what this doorway was. It was almost heavenly.

Amara, holding the sword in her right hand, stared at the light. Just out of curiosity, she put the sword through the light. Yet, the sword didn't get covered by the light. It really did look like the light was another realm altogether - she could see every inch of the blade. With the sword still in the light, Amara peered behind the door - and gasped when she couldn't see the sword at the other end. "What is this? Some kind of magic trick?!"

Just as she asked this, something shoved her into the light.

"_Argh!_"

Amara's scream echoed all around her, as she flew through what felt like an endless blue vortex…with nothing else in sight. "Another...World..." Amara realised. Stella had been right all along. Yet she couldn't stop. The light soon changed colours, from white, to red, to green. Yet, these colours were the only thing Amara could see.

In the blink of an eye, something else flew past her. Perhaps it was another person...but they went away too fast for Amara to notice. She closed her eyes, then suddenly she crashed onto something hard. This time, the pain was real but intense…and even though this pain was bad enough, the same surreal pain in her chest happened again.

"Is this the end?" Amara tried to say, but the words couldn't come out of her mouth. _Dad...Anyone..._ She couldn't find the strength to open her eyes, let alone move. It wasn't long before she lost conciousness.


	3. Chapter 3: Other You

**Chapter 3: Other You**

"Huh?!"

Amara could not open her eyes, no matter how hard she tried. Still, she could see something far in the distrance fluttering towards her. Coming into her vision was a blue butterfly, glowing brightly. Bright sparks of light flew everywhere with every beat of it's radiant wings. "What the - please, don't hurt me!"

_Amara Furaha._

A deep voice boomed all throughout the area - which seemed to be endless darkness. Could this butterfly actually be talking to her? This evening was turning out to be pretty strange, so it wasn't impossible. All she wanted now was to wake up in her bed. That wouldn't work tonight, however. This was no dream.

_I am Philemon. The time has come for you to awaken to your inner self. You have been honing it for many years, and surely you felt it struggling to break free earlier. The 'other you'. I am here to grant you the power to call upon the other side of your soul. Your feelings will become your power.  
_

"What are you talking about?" Amara said, still unable to move. "How do you know my name?" The butterfly was becoming clearer and clearer, it's wings illuminating the darkness with every flap.

_This power you possess...whether you have the brutality of a violent demon, or the compassion of a mother goddess, it will show the form your hidden self takes. It is the only weapon against the shadows born of man's hearts. Now, you must awaken, and unleash the power I have given you. You will be able to return to your home tonight - but if you never return, this world will never find peace._

Just then, Amara woke up. She no longer felt the pain from hitting the floor, or the odd feeling in her chest. Weirdly, she felt relaxed, as if something that had been bothering her had gone away. "I guess...I'm not going to die after all." She stood up, and noticed her sword was by her feet. Relieved to still have her weapon, she picked it up and looked around at her surroundings. She had wound up in a strange square room, with white walls and floors, and strange looking blue lights on the ceiling. It was almost like a dentist's office, but the only thing in this room was a doorway - that looked exactly like the one she was shoved through.

"Thank god! I can go home now!" Amara asked. Unlike before, the light was gone. Amara tried pushing the red button on the side, hoping it would turn the device on, but nothing happened. The panel displayed an error message: '**Shadow Energy Generator Deactivated. Emergency Power for this panel only.**' _Crap, more things I don't understand! _Why did that cloaked man shove her in here? Was this Stella's doing? Amara was more confused than ever, but she knew she couldn't find answers by staying in here. Waiting here could be dangerous.

With nothing else to do in this room, Amara pushed the actual door to the room - which was also featureless white - and looked outside. It was a seemingly endless corridor, with elaborate and almost regal gold designs on the white walls and floors, with more strange blue lights on the ceiling. Yet, this place didn't seem to have any personality to it at all. It was impossible to tell what sort of facility this was. Even hospitals had some character to them, but this place was soulless and quiet. She couldn't see any windows on either side, just more locked doors.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" Amara called out. Not a single response. "Dammit! Where do I go now?" None of the other doors opened at all. She had the feeling she wasn't welcome here. If she was caught, she was in for serious trouble.

After what felt like aeons walking towards the right, she finally saw a door that opened, that led to some sort of rest area on the roof. Amara was on the highest part of the building, but when she went over to the railing to look down, she realised she was at least twelve storeys up. Not only that, but the buildings across looked very familiar. She couldn't put her finger on it, however.

"Am I in some kind of virtual reality game?" Amara asked, expecting a response. _Maybe this is some kind of beta. I'm surprised I even know what a beta is. Oh wait, that beta art program the college computers had. _Thoughts like that usually kept Amara's spirits up in tough times, but this was the first time it didn't help at all. She was in no mood for laughing. She just wanted to get out of here. Find the power supply in this building, fire up that door device, and get home. Once she did that, she would never speak of it again.

Tired and still hungry, Amara sat down on one of the benches. It was hard to relax here, with the sky's eerie purple tint to it. This didn't feel like her world at all, but…part of it felt familiar. The sky wasn't beautiful like her city's, but creepy. Something was not right here. Perhaps she was the only person alive in this planet. If so, she was all on her own, and that cloaked man had led her to her doom. Even her father couldn't help her now. Why couldn't Stella predict anything about getting _out _of this crazy place? That would have been helpful, or so Amara thought. Her only choice was to go further ahead, but she was scared someone - or something - would try to stop her from leaving.

Just then, Amara heard some strange noises. Weird moans and painful cries. They seemed to echo, and were getting louder. This resonance made the pain in her body increase even more. Now, it was surging all throughout her body. Her head, her arms, her legs, even right down to her fingernails and toenails.

"Who's there?!" Amara shouted, sword in her hand. _Oh crap, how am I supposed use this sword? What if it breaks? I'm just an artist!_ The threat soon made itself visible in front of Amara. Two bizarre blobs appeared in front of her, with eerie silver masks on their 'faces'. These masks had a strange face on them, a peculiar vacant expression. These beings seemed to be constructed of dark slime, that shined with the eerie sky. Two skeletal arms, also made of the creepy black fluid, emerged from each of the blobs.

"_Argh_!" Amara screamed. "Get away from me! Stay the hell away from me! If you touch me, I'll...I'll...!" Panicking, she stepped away. It was foolish, but she was desperately hoping these freaks would leave her alone. Yet, they got even more agitated, and moved forward. Amara's anger - at Stella, at this new world, at these freaks - got the better of her, and she charged at the monsters, attempting to stab one of them with her blade. Yet, it was like slicing air. Her blade just flew through the monster, not even slightly harming it.

"No way! I'm...going to die?!" Amara shouted. The monstrosities oozed towards her even forward, and she was soon cornered. One of them started waving their arms around rapidly, seemingly chanting something. _What is it doing? Some sort of...magic?!_ "No...this can't be happening!" Amara shut her eyes, hoping this would be over quick. How could this happen? On the first day of a new job, she wound up in this place and got killed. _Isn't there anything I can do? _Amara shut her eyes, and prayed this would be quick. Now she'd never get to open her art gallery, or make her father proud. He would never know she was dead. Would he spend the rest of his life trying to search for her? That thought was too much to bear. But there was no way she could return to him now...

Just then, a soothing blue aura surrounded Amara, causing the monsters incredible pain.

"Huh?! What's this light?" she said. Her despair slowly faded, as she felt the power of this aura.

Just then, an image of the butterfly came into Amara's mind - and she had a very brief vision of a feminine golden figure. There was an incredible sensation in her body, something that wanted to break free - yet this time, it did not hurt. This time, Amara was ready to unleash whatever power she had. This power was tremendous, unrivalled by anything in the world. One word would free this power from her body, and save her from everything. And she somehow knew what word that was.

"**Persona!**"

With an incredible blast of energy, the aura around Amara transformed into a beautiful golden female, with long black hair in a ponytail. Wearing golden bracelets and anklets, as well as a black skirt and a golden breastplate, complete with lapis lazuli decorations. Her eyes were red, but they were compassionate eyes. With a sun-like orb in one hand, and an Egyptian staff in the other, she rose into the air. So, this woman...she was trying to get out of Amara's body this entire time. This must have been what Philemon meant.

_I am thou. Thou art I. I am Hathor, one who with the grace of the Sun shall bless you with the fortune and love to conquer all calamity and hate!_

"Ha-Hathor?!" Amara screamed. The Egyptian goddess, Hathor...was this the goddess herself? Yet, she remembered Philemon's words, about the power of her inner self. Amara quickly realised this was not a goddess, but a part of her own soul. "So...this is called a Persona? Then..." Amara glared at the monsters, very agitated by what had just happened, and grinned at Hathor. "Okay, Hathor, show me everything you've got! Destroy them!"

One of the creatures tried to bash Amara with it's arms, but Amara sent it back with a quick strike of her blade. "Ha!" Looking at Hathor, she had an idea. "Burn that bastard to ashes!" Strangely, she had an idea of what her 'Persona' could do. Hathor twirled her staff around, and a powerful blast of flames struck the shadowy being, making it burst into pieces that faded away.

"Wow! This is so **cool**!" Amara cried. All her fears were gone now. No longer was she afraid of dying. This Persona thing, if it really was her other self…was incredible. Instead of the crippling fear, Amara now felt an incredible rush of euphoria. This was her power, and she could use it at will. And these bizarre monsters were about to learn the true potential of this power. "Hathor, attack!" Amara shouted.

Hathor's staff mysteriously changed into a black sword. The remaining creature looked panicked, and tried to escape - but with one powerful swing, the monster was vanquished. Amara suddenly felt exhausted, but relieved. Hathor had saved her. Or rather...her own emotions did. Philemon had been right all along. Now she had the power to kill anymore monsters like those ones! Maybe now, she could find this power generator and get it to work again, so she could get out of here! Nothing would stop her from seeing her father again. Ever.

Hathor disappeared, but Amara instinctively knew she could call upon this power at any time. Philemon, whoever he was, really did help her out. If only she could return the favour. Then Amara remembered something else. Stella mentioned others going through this ordeal. Could there be other Persona users in this world? If so...was this going to go away at all? She didn't want to come back here. At all. Yet she had to focus on getting out of here, first. Steeling her resolve, she looked to the sky. The purple hue...had she seen it before today? Something felt familiar about it.

After catching her breath, she decided to head down the pale white steps, all the way down to the ground floor. It was like nothing Amara had ever seen before - grander than even the place she had her college graduation at. The vast size of the lobby, with sleek and streamlined white chairs and stainless glass tables, strange crystal ornaments decorating each one of them. There was what looked like a reception desk in the centre of this lobby, but no one was there.

"Um, is anyone there? I don't have a vistor ID, so..." Amara asked, moving further in. There were a number of glass pillars, filled with water, yet...nothing was in them. _Most pointless feature ever. Like...is this supposed to be relaxing? Just makes me want to go to the bathroom... _Clearly, no one was here. She still didn't know what kind of building this was meant to be. There wasn't any hospital equipment, but the only room she had been in other than the corridor had next to nothing in it. If this was another world...something had gone horribly wrong here.

Just then, Amara looked at the blank TV monitor above the entrance. It wasn't like the fifty inch ones she saw on sale last week in the Caramathia Department Store - it looked much more advanced, the kind often seen in sci-fi shows. The monitor wasn't displaying at the moment, presumably due to the power outage. Yet, there was a familiar logo on it. It was a red logo, of a sword behind the word 'Albion'.

"Wait...Albion?"

Amara thought about this for a minute. In New Motus City, Albion Incorporated was one of the biggest computer businesses in the world, having been around since the city's very formation. The founders of the district, Nova Albion, were also responsible for starting the company long ago. "Why...is this even here?" Amara stared at it, in confusion. Could it be that Albion Inc were responsible for this? A virtual reality game that was powered by human psyche...that wasn't their forte. However, she didn't have enough information to come to any other conclusions.

"So Albion are behind all this? Whatever. I know Hathor can kick their asses any day!" Amara said. Now that she could summon her Persona at will, she didn't fear a thing. "Yeah, if all the Albion guys are like that snobby redhead with the broken car, then I've got nothing to worry about!" She smiled, but as she turned around that smile turned to shock. Someone was there. It was a familiar man with red curly hair, in an expensive blue suit. _Him?! Here? What the crap? _Instead of his briefcase, he was holding a long green staff.

"From the look on your face, you weren't expecting the 'snobby redhead' to wind up in here. I'd prefer to be called Nathan, thank you very much."


	4. Chapter 4: The Harlequin

**Chapter 4: The Harlequin**

Amara had never felt so akward in her life. The red-haired man complaining about his car was right in front of her. He looked a bit older than her, and had a somewhat dignified air to him. So his name was Nathan...but why was he here?

"Uh, I'm sorry, I just thought you were kinda...when I walked past you earlier..." Amara, blushing, couldn't look at him. This was the first time someone had caught her badmouthing them - although today was the first time for a lot of things. Actually, compared to what she had just been through, this was a welcome surprise. This Nathan didn't look like her enemy. In contrast, she felt like she could rely on him.

"Never mind that. We have more important things to worry about, such as getting out of here. So I'll let it go." Nathan said. He didn't seem angry at all. Rather, he was focused and calm. Perhaps he was used people being turned off by his snooty demeanour. "You're aware this 'Shadow Generator' isn't operational, correct?

"Yeah, but I dunno where it is. Do we have to go outside?" Amara asked.

"Highly unlikely. The power system is likely stored somewhere nearby. Notice those computer-like devices on the table?" Nathan said, pointing to a table to the right of the entrance. "If we check them, we should be able to learn more about this place."

So Amara and Nathan walked over to the table. The computer was unlike any device Amara had ever seen - even the stoic Nathan looked impressed. It was an incredibly thin monitor, that put even the newest tablet computers to shame. The keyboard and mouse were both wireless, but they didn't seem to have any battery compartments.

"I'm curious as to what power source this world uses." Nathan said. "I couldn't see any power sockets around. This place is so confusing."

"You kidding me? This is more than confusing! This is a nightmare! All I want to do is get home!" Amara said.

"So do I. That's why we have to focus, and activate the power in this building." Nathan said. "Oh yes... I should probably tell you how I managed to get in here. Me and Priscilla - the woman I was with - were going home, when suddenly, a man dressed in a black robe appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her handbag." Amara gasped, eyes wide with horror. "What?"

"That's...the guy who shoved me in here!" Amara said, explaining how he led her into the warehouse and trapped her in this world. "I couldn't see his face at all!"

"Me neither. I could tell from his body shape he was male, but that's all I could decipher. Anyway, the man ran off, leaving a note telling me to follow him. Without another thought, I dashed after him, but before I could catch up to him, he entered the warehouse I assume you wound up in." Nathan said. He looked worried, but perhaps that was because he was concerned about his girlfriend. She must be worried by now, especially after all this time.

"So what happened next?" Amara asked. If this cloaked man was leading others into this world, was he in cahoots with Stella? Was this all some sort of psychiatric treatment? Personas were an interesting take on therapy, she had to admit. A little dangerous, though.

"Well, I got curious, and took the staff that he left by the steps. There was a sword, but I decided I didn't want it." _Well, I wouldn't want that staff thing either. It looks hard to use._ "The place was disgusting to walk though, though. There was dust everywhere, debris all over the floor, and no light. It was positively revolting!" Nathan said. "I see you took the sword. Wise choice, considering what predicament we're in. Anyway, my curiosity got the better of me, so I found that door contraption, and before I knew it, I was stranded in here."

"Damn this is weird. I'm Amara Furaha, by the way." Amara and Nathan politely shook hands. Amara wasn't sure what to think of Nathan now…but she felt she could trust him a little. "C'mon, how does this computer work?" she said. Nathan groaned.

"You honestly expect me to know how strange computers in another planet function? Assuming we are in another planet?" Nathan said, fiddling with the mouse and keyboard. The monitor did not react whatsoever. "Curses! It's not operational." Nathan said, annoyed. "I'm completely lost here. This is beyond even my knowledge. Why would they fabricate my company's logo?"

"Wait, you work for Albion Inc?" Amara said. "What is going on? How are we gonna get out of here?"

"I don't know, okay!?" Nathan snapped, frustrated. "Listen to me. I'm just as eager to get home as you are! Priscilla must be out of her mind with worry! She's probably phoned the police by now. How am I going to explain this - no, I need to get out of here first before I worry about that." Nathan said, now looking absolutely furious. "I do indeed work for Albion. The president's my father, actually. Yet, I've heard absolutely nothing about a virtual reality game at all - we don't even produce any video games, just hardware. Clearly, some other firm is trying to frame us! I swear, the company is not at fault! If it is, then I am certainly not involved!"

"This sucks. I was hoping we'd find some answers. I'm really sorry, Nathan." Amara said.

"Don't apologise. I need to follow my own advice and stay calm. It's just, when my company's name is possibly being tarnished...I can't just let it go. I have to uphold my father's honour." Nathan said, appearing to have cooled down a little.

"I know how you feel. I hate it when people say bad things about my dad. Don't worry, we'll get to see our dads soon! We'll get out of here soon, I know it!" Amara said.

"Really? How can you be so sure?" Nathan said, looking curious.

"Because I said so!" Amara said, smiling. "C'mon, let's team up! My Persona can look after us both!"

Nathan suddenly chuckled, with a genuine smile. "Well, if that's so, then having two Personas should also work in our favour!" _What? He's got a Persona too? _"Oh. I assume 'Philemon' spoke to you as well. Normally, if I saw a talking butterfly, I'd think someone had drugged my egg salad. Today I can almost discard that notion. _Almost_. It did taste a bit different, though." Amara giggled, relieved to have someone else in this world she could rely on. "Don't laugh. That actually happened once. But that's another story."

"Well, you can show me your Persona later. We need to find this generator now!" Amara said. Nathan nodded, and with their weapons at the ready, they left the lobby and went into a long, wide passageway, with many locked rooms and windows - which showed large seating areas outdoors. There was no sound at all - not of any equipment running, nor any other voices. Clearly, this place was important, considering it's size, but why was it deserted? Even after business hours, surely there'd be some guards around, or something. For an abandoned building, it was in remarkably good condition.

The two of them soon reached the end of the hallway. The bathrooms at either side had signs saying they were out of order - even if they were, Amara still would not have trusted them. For all she knew, a monster could be hiding in the toilets. The door in the centre didn't have any identification plate o it, so it seemed unwise to go straight ahead.

Just then, Amara and Nathan heard someone screaming. It sounded like a woman, and it was a rather piercing scream. It hurt Amara's ears. Nathan didn't seem as startled though, and firmly held his staff.

"What was that?" Amara said, shaken. The scream was still echoing throughout the building, as if it would never end.

"Obviously, someone's in trouble. Let's go!" Nathan said, running ahead. Amara, still panicked, followed him. More Shadows were here...they had come after her and Nathan, and whoever was screaming was next. If she didn't awaken to her Persona ability, she was dead. Amara had to save her, and get everyone home safely!

_Shadow Generator Power Room_

The device in front of them was a strange black and grey cylindrical device, that had numerous compartments that looked like they could rotate, like the rows on a Rubik's Cube. Various other devices, resembling computer servers, were installed around the room. Amara figured they were installed to forward power to other sections of the building. The plaque on the wall said 'SHADOW GENERATOR: Authorised Employees Only. All trespassers shall be prosecuted.'

"Finally, we found the generator! But where's the girl who was screaming?" Amara said. No one else seemed to be here but her and Nathan.

"Be on your guard at all times. There may be more of those abominations around. You did encounter them as well, correct? After all, you said you acquired a Persona." Nathan said. He seemed enthralled by the generator, and Amara could see why. This technology must have been beyond what even his company could create.

"Yeah…Hathor destroyed them easily. Now if - _argh_! Look up there!"

Amara pointed to the ceiling, at the horrible sight…of a grotesque monster, wearing another mask. It resembled a bizarre clown-type figure, with garish clothes and long, stretchy arms. The demonic mockery of a clown was holding a young girl, who was struggling in vain to break free. Now it was quite clear who was screaming.

"Damn! Madam, hold on! We'll save you! Persona!" Nathan, surrounded by blue mist, called upon his Persona…a young male, wearing a blue outfit complete with cape and gloves, with green skin and hair, holding a spear.

"**I am thou. Thou art I. I cometh from the sea of thy heart. I am Setanta, one who will one day have the power to protect all you care for." **Nathan grinned, clearly proud of his power. Amara had to admit, his Persona was pretty cool.

"Still as impressive as when he first appeared! Now then, take this! Garu!" Nathan called out - and a burst of green wind hit the monster, causing him and the girl to fall down. Reacting swiftly, Amara jumped forward to catch the blonde girl. Her Persona seemed to give her the extra strength she needed to carry her. It was then she saw the blue and silver necklace she realised - it was the same girl she saw at the memorial.

"Hey, are you okay?" Amara said.

"Y-yeah." the young girl said. "Wait, I saw you earlier!"

"That's right. We have to stop meeting like this!" Amara said. "Don't worry, we're gonna find our way back! Just leave this clown to us!"

"Uh...okay." the girl said, stepping back.

"Here it comes!" Nathan said, as the clown skated towards Amara, with an inhuman giggle. With wild contortions, it cast the same fire spell Amara could use on her - dealing a small amount of pain.

"Ha! Hathor can resist fire! Here's how you do it! Agi!" Calling forth Hathor - much to Nathan and the girl's amazement - she struck the clown monster with Agi, causing a lot of pain.

"Alright, let's finish this monstrosity off! I have someone waiting for me to return home, and there is no way in **hell **you are going to stop me!" Nathan yelled, awkwardly holding up his staff. _I guess he doesn't know how to use it well yet._

Just then, the clown performed another magic spell - a powerful blast of ice - which caused Amara incredible pain. "Argh!" she screamed in pain, and collapsed. The blonde girl screamed with fright, and covered her eyes, unable to watch. The clown turned to Nathan, and cast another spell - a blast of rocks, which also inflicted dire pain on him.

"Ugh...how annoying! He found our weak points. This isn't good, I can barely move..." Nathan said. "Amara, Madam, we need to escape now and rethink our strategy!"

"Right...strategy. You better have a good one, cause I don't think we can beat this by ourselves!" Amara said.

"N...no!" the girl said. "I...can feel something inside me. I think I can do this too. Per...**Persona!**" _What? Her too?!  
_

A blue burst of energy erupted from the girl, striking the Clown down. Emerging from the blonde girl's body was a young female, with bright blonde hair with white tips at the front in a ponytail. Her skin was light blue, and she had a white dress and silver sandals and gloves. There was a small moon emblem in her hair, that was shining as bright as the real thing. Holding a shining bow, she flew into the air, preparing to attacking the monster.

"**I am thou. Thou art I. I cometh from the sea of thy heart. I am Artemis, lady of the hunt and madam of the moon!"**


	5. Chapter 5: Ember of Bonds

**Chapter 5: Ember of Bonds**

"Wow! It worked!" the girl screamed. From the look on her face, she was astonished by her newfound power. "So this kind of power _is _real! Philemon was right! Artemis...it's amazing!"

"Hey, lady, are you ready to use that thing?" Amara said, still in pain from the ice attack.

"It's Serena. Serena Agnethe!" Serena said, her face full of confidence, instead of fear. "This power...it's called a 'Persona', right? It's so powerful...I can feel it, the power of the moon itself!"

"The power of the moon, huh? Well then, feel free to show us that power!" Nathan said, excited.

"It would be my pleasure!" she said.

Serena looked at Artemis, who raised her arms, sending a bright white light into Amara and Nathan's bodies. It was a soothing light, filling their bodies with energy. Their injuries seemed to fade away, and they were full of vitality once again.

"Whoa!" Amara said, standing up. "Thanks. If you can keep doing that, we'll be okay."

The monster, irritated, skated over to Nathan and started bashing him repeatedly with it's hands.

"Hold on!" Serena shouted. "I think I know what else I can do. Aqua!" Artemis raised her arms again, and a sphere of water crashed onto the clown, causing it more pain.

"That was great! Now then, time to end this farce!" Amara said. With Nathan and Serena by her side, she felt a sudden surge of confidence. Before the clown could cast another spell, she charged at him, slashing him repeatedly with her weapon. Nathan did the same, each swing becoming more and more brutal.

The clown's screams were horrifying to behold. It sounded neither human, or even beastlike. There was a bizarre black blood dripping fron his face, straining his mask and his clothes. The harlequin started to dance even more erratically, and soon a great burst of purple energy hit all three Persona users.

"Ugh!" Nathan screamed, falling to the floor. Amara and Serena were also gravely hurt by this spell, but were still standing. "If only we could counter with a spell like that. How irritating..." Nathan, grabbing his staff, stood up, and glared at the clown, who laughed in it's inhuman voice. "Damn you, monster! I won't let you get away with that."

"Let's try something different. Follow my lead!" Amara said. "Everyone, attack at the same time!" Hathor, Setanta and Artemis were all summoned, and Hathor immediately sent forth a powerful jet of flame at the clown. Setanta sent great gusts of wind at it as well. Lastly, Artemis sent forth waves of water. "Now, watch...our powers will combine!" All the energy of the attacks combined, causing an explosion even greater than the clown's magic attack. "**Power Triad!**" everyone shouted.

The clown, even more incoherent, staggered all over the place. Parts of him were breaking off, and dissolving as they hit the ground. Serena almost threw up at the sight of this, but tried to look away. The clown, in it's final moments, backed into the generator, and somehow phased through it.

"Wait, what is it doing?" Amara shouted. Suddenly, the generator's lights blinked, and each part of it began rotating at full speed. Suddenly, a great number of the basic masked monsters appeared within the cylinder, just as the clown finally disappeared. The computers in the room began roaring with energy, and thus the building was fully powered once more.

"Ghastly." Nathan said. "Those monsters are used as a power source. How appropriate for a world so perilous." _So, are they called Shadows? It is called a Shadow Power Generator..._

"Wait, look. I think this generator's connected to something else. There's a lot of pipes coming out of the ground connecting to it!" Serena said, pointing. "Hey, let's go back to the door. We have to get out of here, and now!"

"Fine with me. I wanna go to bed. I'm exhausted..." Amara said, yawning. "This place freaks me out."

"I know, it's like something out of an anime. Except my skirt's too long for panty shots." Serena said. Amara and Nathan blinked. "Uh...forget I said that. I think you guys get the picture. It feels like a virtual reality game. Why us, though? I never signed up for anything like this!"

"Ladies, we shouldn't spend too much time talking in this room. I don't want the 'Shadows' in that thing to break free." Nathan said. "Quite frankly, just one wandering around is bad enough. Also, now I want to beat up a clown. Too bad the circus isn't in town this time of year."

_Teleportation Room_

"Yes!" Amara shouted. To everyone's relief, the door was active again, and now they could return home. "Now we can get out of here for good!"

"Poor Priscilla...I never did get her handbag back." Nathan said.

"Why are you worried about that? Come one, we almost got killed by monsters!" Serena exclaimed.

"That's true, but it was important to her. I suppose it's a good thing I'm able to go back and find her. Wait..." Nathan noticed something in the back corner of the room. A black leather handbag. "What the - why is this here?" Nathan shouted, infuriated. Then, he gasped.

"W-what? Did a Macca Leaf fall out?" Serena asked. _Those snacks from that place in Japan?_

"No, silly! Behind the door!" Nathan said. Amara and Serena ran behind the door, and saw the man in the black cloak. As before, his face was entirely hidden, and his body was completely covered in a black cloak - even his hands and feet.

"It's him..." Serena said, backing away. Amara glared at him - which might have been pointless, since it didn't seem like he could look out of his cloak. Still, she was angry. It was because of this man that she had been forced to fight monsters of unspeakable evil.

"You have done well." The man said after a long period of silence. "You can now return to your daily lives. Yet, this world remains in peril."

"What do you mean by that?" Amara said. "And who are you, anyway?"

"I cannot tell you that for now, Amara." The man said. His voice sounded weary, and almost faint. "It would be so simple to continue your everyday lives and forget everything that transpired here. However, I implore you to return. Your world and this one are linked, thanks to these doors. If you do not return, the worlds may collide, and all shall be lost to-"

"Don't talk such tripe!" Nathan shouted. "This world has nothing to do with us. You stranded us in here without even asking us to do this! We almost got killed by those Shadows! How _dare_ you expect us to risk our lives for you!"

"Would you have believed me if I had just asked? I had to get your attention somehow. Nathan, remember the monitor downstairs. It has your company's logo on it. Not only that, do you not recognise the emblem throughout this building?" The man said, looking at the ground.

"Relax, guys. This is some sort of MMORPG, right? They just couldn't release it to the public because of copyrights!" Serena said. "Do we get to decide our classes now? I wanna be the white mage!" Nathan and Amara just stared blankly, and the cloaked man simply shook his head. "Fine, Nathan can be the Dragoon if he wants. Amara, you feel like being a Bard?"

"What is she talking about, Nathan?" Amara asked.

"I have no idea. I never played games like that when I was her age..." Nathan said.

"This is far from a game, Serena. These are battles to the death, ones you cannot do over." the man said. Then, he faded away.

"The hell - Where did he go?" Serena looked all over, but it was only the three of them in the room.

"Wait! Get back here! No one pushes me into a place like this and gets away with it!" Amara screamed, shaking her fists.

**You wish for more answers? Your only choice is to come back here. For both worlds to survive, you must.**

The voice faded away into a quiet echo. Nathan, Serena and Amara just stood there, struggling to comprehend the situation.

"Damn, I don't know anything about this! How does he know our names? What is this building? How can we go between worlds?" Amara shouted, stomping on the ground. "I'm fed up with this crap!"

"Calm down." Nathan said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Right now, we should go through. With any luck, we should be back in our world if we do. We'll be fine once we're out of here."

"Sorry...let's go." The three of them held hands, wary of what the door device had in store for them, and ran through.

_Abandoned Warehouse_

"Whoa!" Amara said. Unlike before, they went through in a flash. She didn't feel going through the endless abyss, and neither did Serena or Nathan, from the looks of things. "Never thought I'd be so glad to be here again. You guys okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm a little tired though." Serena said. "At least I recognise this place. This is that creepy warehouse the hooded guy ran into!"

"Wait, how did he lead you in here?" Amara asked, grimacing at the thought of the cloaked man.

"Well, I was about to head to my friend Kyle's house to help him with homework, when all of a sudden this guy walks in front of me, flings a card at me and runs off. I really shouldn't have followed him, but I did!" Serena said, as we walked downstairs. "Then again, I was able to heal you guys! Good thing we found each other! It must be fate."

"Fate, huh? Well, we're lucky you could summon a Persona as well. I'd rather not repeat that experience, though…" Nathan said. "I thought that time I got lost in the parking garage was bad enough." He put his staff down on the ground, and motioned for Amara to do the same with her sword.

"Oh yeah, we shouldn't take our weapons outside of here." Amara said, leaving her sword down - then she noticed a chain whip further away. "Was that meant for Serena?"

"Yeah, I think so. It looks kind of cool, but why does he think we can save that world?" Serena asked. "That creep could have killed us!"

"I'm as confused as you two. With our Personas, we can survive that harsh place, but I'm worried. There was Albion equipment inside that place. Not only that, there was indeed something familiar about the other logo." Nathan said, deep in thought. "This doesn't feel like some kind of game, like we keep hoping..."

"If this is real, then I can actually use magic!" Serena said, a little excited. "It doesn't seem as cool as it should, though." Amara nodded. It wasn't really as fun as it looked in the movies. "Damn, I'm going to have to tell Kyle I'm too tired to go round. I need some sleep..."

"So do I. Also, I really think we should meet again. I have a feeling this isn't quite over. Since I'm the son of the CEO of Albion, I can easily access their files. I'll be able to determine whether they have any hand in this. I don't suspect my father, but someone else could be involved out of his sight." Nathan said, looking angry. "Meet me in Solar Ray Mall at 6pm. I might as well treat you all to dinner."

"Great! I haven't been there since yesterday!" Serena said, with a glimmer in her eyes. "We're keeping this secret, right?"

"Of course. I'd rather not have Priscilla know I'm having dinner with younger women. It would be rather...awkward." Nathan said, his face red. "I'd better go and find Priscilla. She must be worried sick by now. Oh, you two should get home too. I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then. Take care!" Nathan quickly ran out of the warehouse.

"Hey..." Serena said, as she and Amara left themselves. "I'm glad you two came along. If it wasn't for you, I'd be Shadow food by now!" She held out her hand.

"Well, maybe. But you saved our bacon too, y'know?" Amara shook hands with Serena. "Your Persona was pretty cool."

"Thanks. I liked yours and Nathan's too! Personas really are amazing!" Serena giggled, but both girls were quickly startled by a motorcycle that quickly drove past. The driver dropped a lit ciggerate on the ground, and Serena frowned. "Now that's just rude. Um...so, are we gonna go back in there?" Serena asked.

Amara nodded, not particularly happy at the thought of this. "Yeah. Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this. And with our Personas, we can crush all of those Shadows in no time!"

Serena nodded. "I hope we do! I hope this is all some sort of game. If it's real, then more people might have to go through this. We shouldn't let anyone else get involved. So, can I have your phone number? Just so we can meet up with each other if we need to?" Amara and Serena exchanged numbers, and said goodbye.

Watching Serena walk off into the distance, Amara stared at the sky. Stella's fortune came true - she did indeed meet others who went through the same ordeal. Darkness, another world, it was all real. How could she tell Stella all of this? Not only that, could she keep all of this secret? This was insane, but still, Amara had a feeling things would work out.

"After all, I am me. I'm not going down without a fight."


	6. Chapter 6: Return to Darkness

**AN: **I hope you all enjoyed the prologue arc! Note that this author's note has been written quite some time after this chapter was first published, and thus there is a lot of plot for new readers to catch up on. I hope you still soldier on and continue reading, but I may end up posting a synopsis by chapter that will help readers catch up quickly. Arcs are divided into ten chapters each from this point on, and the first true arc begins with this one. Chapter 16 begins the next arc, and so on.

Unlike some original Persona series fanfics, there is no Social Link system. This is mostly because I wanted to break away from the recent trends of the Persona games (Personas 1 and 2 don't feature this system, but the Major Arcana is still a gameplay element) and give all four of the main characters - Amara, Nathan, Serena, and the fourth you'll get to see very soon - their own lives and friends, rather than just from one character's viewpoint.

And also at the start of each arc, I will keep a list of all the techniques each character has learned. Note that I will feature Water and Earth magic in this story, and the spells will be named 'Aqua' and 'Magna', as they are in Persona 2.

Amara: Agi, Sharp Slash

Nathan: Garu, Spear Strike

Serena: Aqua, Dia

* * *

_And thus, the two streams were connected._

_The trio of ones with the power of masks shall be joined by another._

_Yet, the true mysteries of the divided stream remain unanswered._

_All I can do is grant those with strength the power of masks._

_The final fate of these souls shall be decided by them alone. _

_The ray of the Sun,_

_The courage of Strength,_

_The Moon's dream,_

_And the Magician's ambition._

_They shall all be tested…_

**Chapter 6: Return to Darkness**

_Real People Offices_

It was just another day for the offices of Real People, but for Amara, it was heaven. After nearly being killed in the bizarre other world, she was grateful to just go back to what she did best. Yet she had a gut feeling she'd have to go back. Stella had been more quiet than usual, and was trying to avoid her gaze.

"Hey, Amara, me and some of my friends from college are hitting Silver Web tonight! Wanna come? It's gonna be awesome!" Colette was full of energy today. Amara would have loved to come along - she loved going to the bars in Farawell - but she had plans with Nathan and Serena.

"Sorry, but I'm meeting my dad later." This wasn't completely false, as she was going to see him on Sunday.

"Oh...then how about you, Stella?" Colette said.

Stella shook her head. "I'm afraid I'm busy this evening. Maybe some other occasion." she said, then she continued to type on her computer whilst presumably doing more psychic revelations. Colette shrugged, and went back to her work as well.

"Okay guys, we're coming along with our first issue really well." Karen said to the team before lunch. "It's too early to sit back and relax now, though. There's still a lot of ground to cover. Everyone, don't get lazy, and if we do this right, we make this a hit!"

"Cool." Juan said, getting out his lighter. Lucy glared at him, but Juan was too distracted by Colette's miniskirt to notice. Normally, Amara would have indulged in some gossip about her co-workers, but she just didn't care about that right now.

"Stella, do you feel like having lunch together?" Amara asked. Stella was quiet for a minute, but shook her head and left. "Okay, never mind." Amara went outside to get a wrap, both wishing six o'clock would come faster and would never come...

"Don't you think you're making the outlines a little too thick?" Lucy asked, frowning.

"It suits the style of the article." Amara said, rushing past Lucy.

_Albion Incorporated, Nova Albion  
_

Five centuries ago, a family hailing from England travelled to the recently discovered Motus Island, with a number of the social elite. They soon developed a town called Nova Albion. This name was decided when the family declared they would become a new group, that would be like a new family. And that family who led the people was called Albion.

They wisely ruled the town for many years, but after the unification of the city, their role was nothing more than a title. Still, they remained respected and valued members of the community. Even so, they lacked a purpose. In the 19th century, the leader of the household at the time developed a fond interest in machines. Thus, he began building his own imaginative devices, and soon the Albion Corporation was born. Throughout the 20th century, this company grew into a worldwide success, and the business thrived. Thus, the Albion clan finally found a new purpose - to provide the best technology possible, not just for the rich, but for everyone.

The man currently in charge of the corporation was the workaholic Reginal Percival Albion. He took great pride in his career, and besides his stint as President, he was also a caring and encouraging father. Nathan was his pride and joy, and he was proud to call himself an Albion. He loved his family's history, and wanted to carry on his father's legacy someday. Normally, he would have been happy to work at the family business, especially with his girlfriend, his beloved Priscilla Lancaster. Yet, after last night's debacle, he could not help but think...someone at the company might be behind this. And as his father's son, it was his duty to protect the business.

"Hello, handsome! It's time for lunch, so I was wondering if I could get you anything." Priscilla said, as she popped into Nathan's office. "It's been a long day...Joe keeps begging me to put in a good word for that promotion, and I told him I would - but I told his manager not to do it."

"Oh, thank goodness you did. He can't just waltz in here half an hour late and expect to climb the ranks. Anyway, I'll have a ham and cheese panini - wait, let me get lunch for you." Nathan said, giving Priscilla kiss on the cheek.

"Aww, you're such a sweetheart! You just looked so busy, cooped up in here typing away, so I figured you didn't want to take a break today. It's no trouble, let me do it!" Priscilla said. "Anyway, are you alright? Last night was terrifying! But still, thank you for finding my handbag."

"It's nothing, honestly. I just didn't want you to lose it. After all, I got it for you last Christmas, remember? It was just before we were under the mistletoe." Nathan said, smiling.

"You are such a charmer!" Priscilla said. "But that's what I love about you. They all say the Albion men are perfect gentlemen...as well as true romantics! Looks like it's true!"

"There's another thing they say about us men. We have special ladies at our side. I think that's quite true, too." Nathan said, with a warm smile.

"Okay, stop it! You'll make me blush." Priscilla said. "Oh, what are you doing, anyway?" She had a quick look at Nathan's computer. "Virtual reality? What's all that about?"

"Um…it's not important. I just heard a rumour from some guys in the Accounting Department, about some virtual reality game somewhere on our servers. So I had to check it out. Nonsense, right? It's probably about as accurate as the one about me and the diving board." Nathan said.

"Oh yeah, they still talk about that sometimes. It's probably nothing, or maybe it's Joe being his usual self. He's a nice guy, but he should get his finger out of his ear. Or something. Anyway, I'll get you some coffee and that panini. And since you're out tonight with some friends, I'm going out with Tara! I haven't heard from her in a little while. Okay, a few days, but still. Be back soon!"

"Okay. Take care, doll!" Nathan said, giving Priscilla a kiss on her cheek. She giggled, and with a spring in her step, she left. Nathan turned back to the computer, practically bashing the keys. Nothing relevant showed up, making him both relieved and worried. A return to the other side was inevitable, and Amara and Serena would be endangered. This was another thing Nathan could not stand. Yet he knew going in alone would be just foolish. Biting his lip, he continued to search the company records…

_Lucille Valley High School_

"Sucks about last night, huh?" Kyle said as he and Serena rode the tiny elevator to the ground floor, after a long and tedious literature class. Due to being the school's only disabled boy, Kyle McHale was virtually the reason the school had an elevator. Serena often went with him, and today they were going to spend lunch studying for an upcoming test.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I couldn't make it. I had a really bad cough. It cleared up eventually, though." Serena said, but she couldn't look at Kyle as she said it. She was used to lying to her parents - especially after what happened on her 17th birthday - but to Kyle, the one friend in the world she could count on, it felt like a crime.

"Well, we really need to study for the Math test anyway. Don't worry, we always do great in those!" Kyle said, as the elevator stopped at the ground floor.

Lucille Valley was an old and somewhat prestigious high school, founded about a hundred years ago. Very few changes had been made since the grand opening in 1910, as the same white marble pillars graced the centre of the lobby, casting long and elegant shadows over the polished blue marble floor. The establishment taught a great deal of subjects, both standard ones and some more unusual classes, such as one on Gaelic. Most of the students were making their way to the canteen, which Serena absolutely dreaded. The canteen was nice enough, but she hated being cramped at the tables with 'cool' students that thought she was a total geek. Which wasn't wrong, of course. Besides, it was hard for Kyle to sit at the tables.

After entering the small but stacked library, filled with many old texts and novels, Serena and Kyle made their way to their favourite table near the back.

"Hey, remember this table, Kyle?" Serena asked.

"Yeah, I remember! About two years ago, right?" Kyle said. Serena nodded.

This was the table Serena had met Kyle at two years ago, when she was trying to get a book at the last minute to complete an essay. It was due the next day, and she was panicking like crazy - not because of her teacher, but because she wanted to avoid her parents yelling at her for being a bad student. Whilst she waited for the librarian to check the catalogue, she saw a young boy in a wheelchair with messy black spiked hair and green eyes, hidden beneath a pair of brown rimmed glasses. He reading an old German book, the one the students always read when they had a language exam. He was scrunitizing each page, clearly not understanding a word.

Serena, forgetting about the librarian, went over to him, and began translating it for him with ease. The boy, Kyle McHale, was surprised. Serena and her family had German roots, and thus she was fully fluent in the language. Although quiet at first, he seemed to enjoy her company. Serena practically forced him to hang out with her, and they soon realised they had tons of things in common. Both of them enjoyed plenty of video games, especially MMORPGs (with a talent for trolling obnoxious players), and had a keen interest in the supernatural. For two long years, Serena and Kyle spent most of their free time together. While they had a few other friends in the school, they were always happiest with each other. Every time she heard his wheelchair coming up behind her, she felt her heart skip a beat. This was why lying to him was so hard...she was always honest about him with everything.

"Oh yeah, I just signed to this new Korean MMO." Kyle said. "It's pretty fun, but I spend most of the time grinding…" Serena rolled her eyes. She hated having to grind for levels, finding it an absolute waste of time, while Kyle could focus on levelling his characters for hours. "You should join too! It's free to play now!"

"Maybe another time. Oh, um...oh yeah! I had an idea, actually. You know how I'm always reading, right? Well, why don't I write my own book?" Serena said, forcing a smile. She actually had no real plans to write a book. Yet, perhaps she could use the plot of the other world as a way to tell Kyle the truth. "It's about these people who wind up in another world, and it's ruined by these weird shadowy monsters, and they can summon beings called 'Personas'!"

"...That sounds kind of cool." Kyle said. "C'mon, tell me more." And so, Serena told Kyle the events of last night, as if they were the story she was going to write. If she could keep this up, Kyle would never suspect a thing…provided she didn't mention any names.

"You always had a wild imagination. If you write this thing, I bet it's going to be great. Not that I'm biased or anything, despite being your best friend. You better let me read it when it's done, of course. I'll be like your editor! Anyway, let's hit the books." Kyle said, opening up his textbook. Breathing a sigh of relief, Serena joined Kyle in answering the questions. It would be a while until she had to meet Nathan and Amara again, but until then she wanted to carry on as normal. Anything at this school was better than going through that door device again.

She had always wanted to escape into a fantasy world, but this time she never wanted to return...

_Solar Ray Mall, 6pm_

The Solar Ray Mall, located in the shopping district of Legarte, was formerly a run-down place filled with closed stores and graffiti. By the end, no customers went through their doors at all. It lay empty for quite some time. However, a shrewd businessman saw potential in the building, and after a long and extensive restoration project, had the place transformed into the biggest mall in the city. It was magnificent to behold, all the customers going in and out every day.

Amara, a frequent shopper here, ran inside, and sat by the large fountain in the centre of the large complex. With shining blue walls and floors, the place had been transformed into a place of beauty. With plenty of exotic plants decorating the ground floor, as well as some sophisticated paintings and lots of mini aquariums, it was a joy just to wander around the place. Yet, today Amara was not here to browse the electronics department. She didn't have the time to even check out Rosa Candida's sale, despite Colette's devotion to the store.

"Hey! There you are!" Serena was the first to arrive, running up to Amara. "I was afraid no one was gonna show up."

"You kidding? I'd never pass up a chance to come here! So where's Nathan?" Amara asked, looking behind Serena.

"Right behind you." Amara leapt with fright, and saw a grinning Nathan, standing behind her. "I always wanted to do that..."

"I thought you were supposed to be the mature responsible one?" Serena said, sighing. "Whatever. Where are we going? I'm starving!"

"Hmm...Let's go to Bar Seoul. I could use some Korean barbecue to get through today." Nathan said. "This is my treat, by the way."

_Bar Seoul, Solar Ray Mall_

"Good choice, Nathan! I love it here!" Amara said as they sat down. "I haven't been here since me and my last boyfriend broke up, though."

"Oh really? I haven't eaten here before. I should ask Kyle to come with me next time." Serena said. "Don't worry, he doesn't know anything about last night."

"That's good to hear. Priscilla...doesn't know the truth either." Nathan said, bitterly grinding his teeth. "I hope this doesn't become a routine. I hate lying to her more than anything else." _Maybe it's just as well I broke up with Karl. I wouldn't want to have to hide this from him, either._

After the waiter took their order, Serena noticed something. "Hey, that waiter's the only Caucasian guy working here. Isn't that a bit weird? I thought this was a family restaurant?"

"So did I. Maybe he's desperate for the money. He does look a bit on the common side, after all." Nathan said. "Reminds me of those motorcycle idiots from Kanaloa..."

"Whatever, it's all cool. Hey Nate, did you find anything on the Albion company's network?" Amara asked. Nathan groaned with despair at this nickname.

"If you call me that again, you are going to **fear **the word 'Garu'." Nathan said. Serena burst out laughing, but Amara had a feeling he wasn't kidding. "And no. Nothing at all. There's nothing on our network I shouldn't be able to access…thus, our only course of action is to return to the other world and fight the Shadows once more."

"Isn't it a bit early to be getting stoned, you guys?" the waiter said, with a sly grin, as he brought everyone their drinks. Amara noticed his dark chestnut brown eyes, the unruly brown hair beneath the cap, and the thick stubble. He did have a rough look to him, but she had a feeling he wasn't as scary as he looked.

"Oh, we're not stoners! We're just...talking about a video game. We're all going to a con next month. It's going to be...really cool!" Serena said, but she didn't sound very convincing. Amara shuddered, feeling the awkwardness radiate across the table. The waiter shrugged (and muttered something like 'Kids these days') and left.

"We really need to stop talking so loudly about this. We're going after we're done here." Nathan said. "Also, to avoid trouble, let's give a big tip. I don't want any hassle from that guy."

"I've got it! He's the owner's adopted son!" Serena said, giggling. Apparently, the waiter heard this, and whispered something to another waiter, a tall woman. They burst out laughing, and Serena groaned. "I guess not, then."

_Other World, Strange Building_

"What do you suppose this place is for, anyway?" Serena asked as they reached the bottom floor. Again, it was deserted, but the power was still on. _Thank god I don't have to kill anymore clowns! _Amara thought, as she held her sword.

"I have no idea." Nathan said. "Wait a second. Look!" Pointing at the monitor above the door, it now read:

**WELCOME TO FARAWELL SHADOW DEVELOPMENT CENTRE**

"Fa-Farawell?" Amara shouted. "How could this be Farawell?"

"The portal to this world_ is_ in Farawell...but this still feels weird." Serena said. "I really hope this is just some game now."

"I don't think it is...Let's go outside." Nathan said, leading the way. Serena had brought the whip left for her, but she had idea how to use it so was holding it in a very awkward manner.

_Outside FSDC_

"Wait, this is..." Amara began saying.

The buildings across the road looked exactly like the ones across the road from the abandoned warehouse. Some of them looked rather run down, but they were the same. There were numerous car like vehicles parked on the road, with rather strange black spherical devices instead of exhaust pipes. "This _is_ Farawell."

"You're right. But how could this be?" Nathan said, running ahead. "Look! There's the Cathedral!" Serena and Amara followed, reaching the outside of the cathedral. It was a popular tourist attraction in the real Farawell, being the oldest and largest church of the city. It looked much the same, except the windows were much dirtier, the outside was rather shabby with a total lack of maintenance, and the door was completely sealed.

"Something else is wrong, too. Look at the benches. The ones back home are red, right? Those ones are brown, like the old benches." Serena said. "They changed the benches back in 2009. I know."

"What does this mean?" Amara said. "Hold on a second. If this is Farawell...come with me, guys" Amara, now more scared than ever, ran in the direction of the local cinema. A quiet establishment, Amara preferred coming here with her dates, than the loud cinema complexes in Legarte.

In this world, the cinema was a burnt out shell. The exterior remained somewhat intact, but the inside was rotting and burnt. "Oh my god!" Amara shouted. "This can't be!"

"Look!" Serena said, shaking, pointing to a poster on the ruined ticket office. It was incredibly faded and wearing away at the edges. "This movie came out ten years ago..." Amara's face was pale with horror. Something was not right. Angry, she kicked the ticket office.

"Girls, stay calm. We're still able to return to our world, right? This is not our world." Nathan said. "Yet what that man said last night is suspicious."

"You mean the stuff about worlds colliding?" Serena said. "Come on, he's just been watching the Sci-Fi channel too much."

"I have an idea." Nathan said, with a solemn tone to his voice. Staring at the cloudy sky, he shuddered at what he was about to say. "This place is...an alternate future."

"What?" Serena shouted. "It does look like it could be that, but...how?"

"So something could have happened ten years ago that turned this city into a Shadow den?" Amara said. "What about the rest of the world?"

"I have no idea. Wait, look!" Nathan shouted. In the distance, the three of them could make out high, insurmountable barriers surrounding the entire city. Large metal barriers were blocking the entire city off.

"What the hell happened?" Amara screamed. "What are we supposed to do now?" She just couldn't think straight. To think the other world was her own all along - why didn't she see it coming?

"I _said_, calm down!" Nathan said. "If we don't keep a cool head, we'll just go crazy. If only we could find others and glean some information, then we'd know what we're dealing with."

"Yeah - holy crap! Shadows!" Serena shouted. The team were surrounded by five of the masked Shadows.

"Okay! Hathor!" Hathor came forth, and sent forth her bright flames.

"Artemis, protect me!" Artemis arose, and shot the Shadows with bright moonlight arrows.

"Setanta, vanquish evil!" Setanta leapt up, and called upon shearing winds.

Within seconds, the five Shadows were defeated. "I think we're getting used to this!" Amara said. "I need to thank that Philemon thing. Without our Personas, we'd be dead by now."

"Yes. Perhaps we should head back now, and think about what to do next." Nathan said. With no other ideas, the two girls followed Nathan.  
Suddenly, bolts of lightning struck the ground in front of them.

"What the hell?" Amara shouted.

"Another Shadow?" Nathan said.

"No, I don't see any..." Serena said, looking around.

"Brilliant! I finally found more Persona users. Aeternus will be very pleased."


	7. Chapter 7: Fire of God

**Chapter 7: Fire of God**

"Where's that voice coming from?" Serena asked, looking around. "That wasn't a Shadow."

"Up there. Look!" Nathan said, pointing at the roof of a small building. On the roof was a tall young man, of Japanese descent, with long straight black hair and black eyes. Wearing an elaborate outfit consisting of a black and white shirt, blue pants and shoes, and a long cape of black, white and blue stripes, he was clutching two sharp daggers in his hands.

"Hiyah!" the man jumped down from the building, and looked at the three of them. "Nice job. I have to say, your Personas are quite potent. They'd make a wonderful addition to the Ornatu Legion!" he said.

"What on earth is that? Who are you?" Amara asked, confused. She, Nathan and Serena kept their weapons ready. She had a feeling this man wasn't willing to become their friend.

The man looked confused himself. "Huh? You're kidding me! You don't know what the Ornatu Legion is? How could you _not_ know? It's been around for ten years, you idiots!" Nathan shrugged, and there was a long and awkward moment of silence.

"So are you going to tell us or..." Serena said.

"Fine. I'll tell you what the Ornatu Legion is, you ignoramuses. Ornatu Legion is the glorious group Aeternus put together to combat the Shadows. Each one of them can use a Persona! However, most of them have artificial ones, which aren't the most reliable. So only five of us can use natural ones. Me and three others are part of the Holy Cross, and there's the Commander. You get it now?" the man, impatient, got more and more annoyed with every word he uttered.

"Wait, Aeternus?" Serena asked. "Didn't they -"

"Serena, no!" Nathan shouted. "Don't tell him!"

"Don't tell me what?" the man asked, annoyed. "You three are an unusual bunch. Yet, our orders must be obeyed. Every day since we were discovered, we've been on strict orders to locate new Persona users, so we can add to our ranks. If I let you go, they'll kill me. So you're coming with me! I'll prove to the commander the power of the Holy Cross!"

"No way!" Amara shouted. "I don't trust you! We're not joining your Legion!"

"Fine then, I'll just have to take you by force. No one refuses the orders of Kazuya Miyazaki and gets away with it!" Kazuya, surrounded by a blue aura, looked very mad, and with a fierce cry, called out his Persona. "**Uriel**!"

Uriel had large blue wings, as well as green armour on his hands and legs. Wearing a long green cape and with golden armour covering his chest, he brandished a long spear that could easily beat Setanta's. His short blonde spiky hair blowing in the wind, his purple eyes shining bright, he descended to the ground, ready to fight.

"No way am I losing to an angel! Once was enough!" Amara blinked. _What's she talking about? Oh, some video game. Probably._ "C'mon, guys!" Serena screamed, as Hathor, Artemis and Setanta were called upon, and got ready to fight. "Aqua!" Once more, Artemis struck her foe with a blast of water energy.

"_Argh_!" Kazuya was in deep pain, and pure rage flared in his eyes. "You got lucky! Damn you and your water magic!"

Serena shrugged, and got ready to cast another spell. "No! No way am I letting you get away with that! Behold! Your magical spectacles shall become nothing but foolish whispers!"

"Huh?" Serena shouted, but suddenly, Uriel cast a strange spell. A strange mist of green surrounded Serena's body, and Artemis suddenly disappeared. "Wait, what happened?" Serena shouted, but she realised something odd. She couldn't cast her spell, no matter how much she called for Artemis.

"Kazuya! What did you do?" Amara shouted.

"Can't you tell? I sealed her magic! Have fun trying to break it!" Kazuya boasted, and at supersonic speed, dashed at Serena and attacked with his knives.

"Ow!" Serena cried. "Damn. Guys, hold on! I'll try and break this seal!" With an incredible velocity, Serena attacked Kazuya with her whip again and again. "Take this, dirtbag!"

"Dirtbag?" Nathan shrugged, and made Setanta strike Kazuya with his spear. "Be warned, I'm not holding back!"

"Don't make me laugh! Like you have any strength to hold back in the first place! Watch THIS!" Uriel, with a triumphant twirl of his spear, blasted Amara with a powerful fire spell - perhaps stronger than Agi.

"Ha!" Amara's fire resistance had proven useful once again. "Fire's useless on me. That all you got, Kaz?"

"You did not just call me that. Feel this glimmer of light! Hama!" Uriel sent a series of white cards around Amara, who stared in confusion. The cards glowed, and there was a brilliant flash of light, but nothing happened. "Dammit, it didn't work!" Amara couldn't help but burst out laughing. "You got lucky! That should have taken you out!"

"Give it up! Take this!" Amara began attacking Kazuya with her sword, whilst Nathan kept dodging powerful Fire Ball spells. "Hathor, cut him in half!" Hathor's staff transformed into a sword again, and with a powerful slash she struck Kazuya.

"Damn, I can't break the spell…" Serena said, trying to attack Kazuya. He dodged every strike, and attacked her with a Zio spell - which caused her a lot of pain. "No way…"

"Looks like I found your Achille's heel. Normally I wouldn't say that, but the commander's not here, so whatever!" Kazuya blocked Amara's slash, and had Uriel use a strong spear thrust move that sent her back several feet. "No way am I losing to you amateurs!"

"Yes, because you're obviously the expert here." Nathan said, with a smug grin.

"S-Shut up!" Kazuya shouted, but this distraction was enough for Amara to prepare another Cleave attack. "Ugh, you…"

"Well done, Amara! Let's end this already!" Nathan shouted, after he withstood a Zio spell. Hathor raised her transformed sword, whilst Setanta called upon a whirlwind to surround Hathor. Hathor, with her sword now charged with intense winds, slashed Kazuya with great strength.

"Argh!" Kazuya collapsed. Uriel was looking rather fatiqued as well. "Damn you! I'm not giving up yet!"

"You're not? Well, then take this! Aqua!" Serena eagerly struck Kazuya with Aqua once again. With a pitiful groan, Kazuya dismissed Uriel.

"Urgh! I don't get you guys! You're obviously new at this, but at the same time, you beat me." Kazuya moaned, amazed. "If only you'd join the Ornatu Legion, you could be like the Holy Cross!"

"We're already better than the Holy Cross. We beat you, remember?" Amara was beaming. During the battle, she had thought it might be too hard to defeat him, but now she had pulled through. Of course, she couldn't have done it alone. "So, tell us…what happened ten years ago!"

"What? You know that already! The Shadows came! Aeternus developed technology to help fight them! If it wasn't for them, we'd all be Shadow meat by now!" Kazuya said. "You guys are messed up!" Catching his breath, he stood up, clutching a wound on his chest.

"Next time, I'll make you join us. The Holy Cross won't forget this. Oh, and you might be able to beat us, but you can't beat the commander. **Ever**!" With all his energy, he jumped back onto the roof and ran off into the distance.

"So…Shadows were coming to invade the city, and Aeternus are trying to stop them?" Amara asked, scratching his head. "If Kazuya was telling the truth, then would joining the Ornatu Legion be such a bad idea?"

"No. Think about it. The Shadows don't exist in our world, right? And Aeternus was ruined because of that explosion. Doesn't that mean they're the ones who unleashed Shadows onto the world?" Serena said. Amara and Nathan gasped.

"So...Aeternus are the ones responsible? They were going to use Shadows to take over the world...and they did, at least in here? I don't believe it..." Amara said. "How did they find the Shadows? Maybe if we talk to Kazuya, he'd believe us."

"No, I don't think it's that simple." Nathan said. "For one thing, we'd have to explain we're from another dimension. That would be a little hard to believe, don't you think? And if Aeternus really are behind the Shadows, then I doubt they'd be particularly welcoming to us." Amara didn't want to admit it, but he was right. If both cities were ruined by the Shadows, there'd be nowhere for them to be safe.

"We're...not done with this world, are we? This is like a tutorial for us." Serena said, with a grave expression on her face. "I never thought I'd be fighting monsters like this!"

"I understand. This is quite a situation we're dealing with, ladies. For some reason, we were all sent through a bizarre device that let us enter another timeline, and a select few have the power we have." Nathan said, deep in thought. "Our world is fine, thankfully, but why? Was the explosion enough to stop their plans?"

"I guess we just won't get all the answers right away, huh? If only it were that easy, then I could do well on the Geography exam." Serena said, and yawned. "I'm beat…"

"Alright then, we should return home. I think Serena could use the rest." Nathan said. Serena smiled and walked off, whilst Amara glared at Nathan.

"What, and I don't?" Amara said.

"Trust me, examinations are a far more fearsome obstacle than the Shadows!" Nathan said, following Serena. Amara sighed, and stared at the city around her. Was it really up to the three of them to save this world? Why couldn't their other world selves do it? "Our other selves…" Amara said to herself, before running after the other two. If Amara found the other her…what would happen?

_Farawell_

"Phew! Good to see the real Farawell again!" Serena said, smiling as the gang left the warehouse. It was a small street, but it felt so much more peaceful than the alternate one. The group had been stuck in the other world for quite some time, and it was dark now. "You two okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine now!" Amara said, but she didn't have much enthusiasm. After all, she had seen an alternate future of her city. A dark land, barricaded, with only a few chosen ones who could fight the monsters. It was bad enough when she thought it was just a virtual reality game, but now it was like hell. "But what are we gonna do next? If all we do in the other world is beat the Holy Cross again and again, then we won't get anything done!"

"Well..." Nathan said. "I think it would be wise to look into the explosion. I'm not convinced the entirety of the organisation was behind this." Amara and Serena looked at each other, and Nathan groaned. "If I remember correctly, only a select few of their staff were at the event. If the entire organisation were behind it, wouldn't there be some signs? There was quite a intense investigation at the time, so I doubt they'd miss anything paranormal. All that happened after that investigation was Aeternus declaring bankruptcy."

"So...all the equipment to do with the Shadows was at the convention centre. The explosion must have destroyed it all." Serena said.

"Yes. There could be more information available, however. I'll look into it and see what I can find." Nathan said.

"Sounds good, Nathan! We're lucky to have you!" Amara said, giving him a thumbs up. "Now then, I'm going home! See you guys later!"

"Wait, hold on. If we're going to seriously investigate this thing, we should all exchange numbers. Not only if we're going to enter that other world, but if we just want to talk. I suppose a snob can spare a few minutes to listen..." Nathan said, with a sly grin at Amara.

"I thought you let that go!" Amara said, but deep down she knew he was teasing. Ever since she got her new job, things had been crazy, but she had met two new friends. One was a girl still in school, and one was an upper-class guy, but she still liked them. If she got to knew them better, then going to the other world wouldn't be so bad after all. "I...really enjoyed fighting with you guys."

"That's the only part I've liked so far." Nathan said, sincerely. "Take care, then."

After saying goodbye, Amara headed home whilst Serena and Nathan went off. As she was walking, she could have sworn she was being watched, but she simply shrugged it off. Hopefully, Amara could enjoy the weekend ahead. Perhaps she could ask Stella a few questions of her own, though…


	8. Chapter 8: Black Lightning

**Chapter 8: Black Lightning**

At last, the weekend had come. Amara had just endured two tiring and awkward days, of work and fighting. Now, she could finally relax. Perhaps she could work on some paintings. She certainly had enough supplies to work with, both scattered over the floor and in her art cupboard. She had a quick look through her selection, and discovered one she had completely forgotten about - one that was still in the starting stages, but she would recognise the woman's face anywhere.

_Mother..._

Amara's mother, Ayodele, had passed away when Amara was still very young. From what Amara could remember, she was a kind and caring mother, and despite complaining that Rudo spent too much time at work, she was a happy woman. Yet, only two years after Amara had moved to the city, Ayodele fell sick. Despite her promises to her daughter, she did not recover - and eventually, she was a shadow of her former self. Amara's last memory of her was at her hospital bed, with her father. He tried to stay calm, but Amara could tell he was holding the tears back.

"Mommy, don't leave!" Amara had begged her mother. "You said you'd get better! You promised me we'd go back home!"

"Amara, dear...this city is your home now. You and your father's home..." Ayodele had said, her voice very quiet. "Even so...I want you to remember. The place we came from...take this."

It took nearly all the energy she had left, but she took the ankh necklace she had worn for as long as Amara could remember, and placed it around her daughter's neck. Amara gasped - if she was passing it down to her daughter, then the time had truly come. Rudo closed his eyes, holding his wife's hand.

"This necklace...is a memento. Of the land we came from...it was from my mother, and her mother, and her mother, and so on. Now is the time...for you to keep it. When you wear it, think of your hometown...and your new home. May you...and your father...always be happy..."

That was the last moment of her life. Amara had to be dragged out of her hospital by her father, who was silent the whole time. The next few months were absolute hell, with her and her father barely talking at all. Yet, something happened - she didn't know what, but she soon regained her passion for art and her love for the city. Her father seemed to move on around the same time, or at the very least was happy his daughter was smiling again. Even so, she still remembered her mother - and she started a painting, to remember her as the lively woman she was, not the dying woman struggling to breathe.

"Mom...I'll finish this someday. There's something I have to do first. Hold on until then, okay?" Amara said.

After putting away the sketch, she took a look through her handbag - and noticed the card Stella had given her. Hmm...perhaps now was the right time to talk about her troubles in the other world. If Stella was truly a psychic, her consultation would prove very useful. Yet, she lived in Kanaloa, a place Amara had always been warned was not for girls like her to venture. Today she would ignore those warnings - just this once.

_Kanaloa, Gregory Street_

Kanaloa's current reputation was hardly a favourable one. It was constantly labelled a den of ill repute, especially by the more affulent, distinguished citizens. Nova Albion, in particular, preferred to act as though Kanaloa did not exist. This present situation was a far cry from what the original plan for the area was. In the 1920's, Kanaloa did not exist. The area had once been an archaelogical site, in an attempt to locate relics of the distant past. Nothing of note had been found. Some American entrepeneurs saw the empty land, and they were hit by a bolt of inspiration. They began a project to create a resort town for the city, one that would outclass even Saragel.

The basic foundations for such a scheme were made, but by then the investors had run out of money. Corners were cut, resulting in ugly, drab buildings that failed miserably at attracting tourists - or even the city's natives. As such, the area quickly degenerated into debauchery and drunkeness. The only positive remark was that the area was host to quite a few factories, hidden away in the grim apartment blocks. The area's promenade was usually deserted, and most tourists stayed within the sands of Saragel. Kanaloa had many grimy bars filled to the brim with unsavoury characters - Amara's father would go insane with worry if he discovered she was here today.

The residential areas were just as terrible as she had heard. No matter where she looked, every single establishment was grimy, with windows that hadn't been washed for at least six months. Every bar she saw had at least one broken window, as well as shards of broken glass all around them. Amara saw a high school, that was so run down she could not even make out the school's name. Along the way, she saw tyre marks on the road. Amara remembered what else the area was famous for - the roughest men of Kanaloa drove their motorcycles all night long, and gave trouble to anyone trying to stop them. The police, as well as the rest of the city, had almost given up on the district. Amara now understood why no travel guides mentioned Kanaloa whatsoever. _How can Stella stand it here? I've been here five minutes and I'm already scared..._

As Amara walked through the unappealing Gregory Street, she was grateful no one was around. She could soon see Stella's place in the distance - the tacky neon lights matched the card perfectly. Amara wondered - how did Stella get permisson to run a store like that? Perhaps those in Kanaloa didn't care what she did. As she went on, she noticed a familiar man, who was tall with unruly light brown hair and light stubble, wearing a red leather jacket and black jeans. He was swearing like a sailor under his breath, standing next to a jet black motorcycle. She couldn't pinpoint who he was, but that might have been due to his sunglasses. _It's not even that bright...must be his idea of a fashion statement_. To her surprise, he waved at her, probably expecting her to come over to him.

"Hey, you there!" he shouted.

"...What?" Amara hesitated. _He's not going to try anything funny, is he?_

"Don't look so scared, miss. I'm a good guy beneath the leather. It's just that this piece of shit I call a motorcycle's broken, and my phone's dead. Just not my day... Sorry to bug ya, but can I use yours to call a mechanic?" He asked, as she walked up. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna steal it." Hesitating briefly, she gave the phone to him. If she refused, it might turn ugly, as encounters often did in this area. She had heard a lot of horror stories about Kanaloa, involving alleyway brawls and gangs terrorising the streets at night. To her surprise, the man actually did call a repairman (and argued extensively over the price). He could have ran off with her expensive phone, but he stayed, and gave it back.

"So you finally got a good deal?" Amara asked.

"Yeah, about six dollars less. Guess I'll have to cut back on the booze this month..." The man said, sighing. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not an alcoholic. Not sure why I'm trying to defend myself here, but I'm not."

"It's okay, I believe you. Wait a second, have we met before?" Amara asked. "Wait! Yesterday, in the Korean restrauant -"

"Yeah, that's right! I didn't think you'd remember me. Guess I sure stood out amongst the other staff, right?" the man asked, pleasantly surprised.

"You certainly did. Um...oh yeah, you made a joke about us being stoned." Amara said. "Honestly, we weren't. I guess we did sound a little strange..."

"Yup. It was some messed up shit about another world. Must be some online thing all the young ones are into. Guess I'm too old for those fancy games. That, and too poor...haha, just ignore that. Anyway, thanks a lot. Everyone around here's afraid of me, and most strangers just think I'm like everyone else here. So thanks." the man said.

"Don't worry about it, I'm glad I could help." Amara said. Somehow, she had a feeling she'd run into him again. Perhaps the next time she was hungry for Korean food, she'd pop in and say hello. After saying goodbye, Amara ran into Stella's parlour.

_Stella's Room_

On the outside, the place looked like a trashy strip joint. On the inside, it couldn't look further away from such an image. It was like stepping into outer space itself. The room had four walls, but Amara felt like she was in a vast, infinite space filled with bright stars. The walls were dark blue with swirling black patterns and very convincing white stars on the walls. The furniture looked ethereal itself, with purple cloth covering the chairs and tables, and crystal candle holders on the shelves at the back. Stella, sitting in front of a table with a deck of cards, stood up in surprise. Once again, she was wearing her usual outfit, complete with turban.

"Amara! What brings you here?"

"Stella, I need your help! About your reading...well, I can't talk about it, but it - I need your help!" Amara said, rather nervously. If she told Stella the whole truth, it could cause more problems. She had to keep it secret, for the time being. "I need another reading! It's really important, otherwise things might go wrong! I'll pay anything!"

"Calm yourself. Do not worry about money. I wish to empty your mind of worry, not your purse of cash. Sit down, and become one with yourself." Stella said, shuffling the cards on the table. "In here, do not think your existence is confined to your physical form. Imagine it spreading all throughout the land, touching everyone and everything you come across. It doesn't matter how brief or long the encounter was, that will remain somewhere in that person's mind for the rest of their life."

"Wow, that's pretty deep. Okay, I'll try and think like that, but I'm not sure if -"

"This time, we're in my domain. All the tools of my trade are one with me. These are the extensions of my insight. For you see, my gift is not within my body, but all around me. My thoughts, my feelings, they resound as we delve into the unconcious. Open your existence, Amara, and I shall learn what awaits." Drawing a card on the table, she showed it to Amara. "The cards reveal all. Behold, The Priestess. This card embodies the hidden knowledge I can see, as well as divine wisdom of the soul. Yes, female mysteries are also part of this card. The card...is me."

"Okay..." Amara said, impatient. She didn't want to say it out loud, but she didn't want the whole tarot tour.

"And you..." Stella said, drawing another card, "...are The Sun." Amara stared at the card, amazed at the face on the sun in the picture. "Great happiness and optimism are the elements this card possesses. One of the sun has great joy, energy, always seeking accomplishment. You must have something you wish to do - something you would devote your entire life to. Fantastic." Stella said, eyes closed as she drew two more cards.

"The two others who went through the ordeal you faced that night are the Strength and the Moon. The man of Strength has limitless courage, and has great control over their desires. A firm but gentle soul. Brute force is not his nature, but honour is his ultimate aim. Those who he holds dear cherish every day with him." Stella said, moving her hand to the Moon card. "The girl of Moon is a creative one. Always dreaming, with constant fantasies of other worlds far beyond the scope of reality. She is one constantly swayed by illusions, but her creativity holds no bounds."

"Yeah, I guess that sounds right. What next?"

"Be patient, Amara. One cannot rush the aria of the soul. Tonight, another card shall emerge. Behold, the Magician." Stella's voice booming, the whole room seemed to grow darker, and Amara found herself staring intently at the cards. "The man of the Magician...a highly ambitious one, even if obstacles block his goals. He may lack wisdom, but he has great initiative, and his confidence in himself is stronger than any other. Yet, there is a lust for Power within him." Stella opened her eyes, and looked exhausted.

"Stella? What's wrong?" Amara asked, standing up.

"Don't worry about me. That was just as far as I could go. The power behind my readings...it is limited. The cards, though, they do not lie. These cards are not everything about one person, they merely symbolise their strongest points. Rely on those points, Amara. They'll get you through whatever struggles you have to face." Stella sat back in her velvet chair, and relaxed. "Now go. You should not waste the weekend with me. Enjoy the weekend whilst it lasts. Cherish the time you can."

"Thank you." Amara said, and she left the parlour.

There were a few people outside, and they were rather dangerous looking types. Most of them were scruffy middle aged men, and Amara could tell they were nothing like the nice man who asked for her help. It didn't help that some of them were drinking cans of cheap lager already. She saw one of them smashing an empty bottle on the ground - so she quickly decided it was time to go home. The man with the motorcycle was with another man, a guy with short black hair and a green vest, but Amara wasn't in the mood for chatting. She ran as fast as she could, relieved to make it out of there.

_Solar Ray Mall, 6pm_

"Why did we have to leave it so late? Tonight could have been fun! I wanted to play FFXIV!" Serena said. "Either that or WoW".

"I don't even know what those are. Which considering all the acronyms that come up in my daily meetings, is a bit ironic. In any case, I apologise I interfered with your free time. However, I needed to talk to you about Aeternus." Nathan said. "The logo we saw inside that Shadow Development place...it's the same one the company used in their heyday. Also, looking through an archive of their website, there was a secret project. Scant information was revealed, other than six of their best staff were working on it."

"Just six? Then those guys are -" Amara said.

"Correct. I wasn't able to find their names, but they are most likely the ones behind this madness. They developed insanely advanced technology using those monsters, somehow. Maybe even that door is their invention." Nathan said. "Yet, they haven't gone to our world yet. That suggests to me that dimension travelling isn't that device's primary purpose. I believe it's just a teleportation device of some kind."

"**Just** a teleportation device?" Serena said. "Nathan, teleporting is too cool for you to just call it a 'teleportation device'!" Nathan rolled his eyes, and tuned out as she rambled about teleporters and something about Star Trek. All Amara remembered was something about 'Scotty'.

"Alright, I rescind my earlier remark! You still get my point, right? I suspect that the door in the warehouse is the only one that still exists in this world. The warehouse must have been their base of operations, but all of the equipment except the door is broken." Nathan said, again deep in thought.

"I get it! The guy in the black cape caused the explosion, and he smashed up everything except the door, so he could use us as test players in some crazy new game he made up!" Serena said.

"No, Serena. We already established this isn't a game." Amara said. "As it stands, we're the only Persona users that aren't part of this Ornatu Legion. That means we have to keep going in! No one else can do it!"

"You're absolutely right. Fighting them at our current level would be tough, however. We struggled enough against Kazuya. Tonight, we should investigate the area carefully, and perhaps find other comrades ourselves. At least, before the Holy Cross get their hands on them." Nathan said, looking around nervously. It seemed he was worried about being caught with two younger women, especially as Serena was eleven years his junior. Luckily, no one seemed to recognise him.

"If I see Kazuya again, I am not letting him get away with that Silence attack!" Serena exclaimed. Nathan and Amara blinked. "You know, because in RPGs silence -"

"Okay, I get it! The same goes for the rest of them, too. We do not let them win, otherwise we could be in grave trouble." Nathan said. "Now, before we head to the other world, let's have dinner here once more. I'm in the mood for some pizza, as long as it's got pineapple on it!"

Heading up to the first floor, Amara gasped in horror as she put her hand on her chest. Something felt very wrong as her fingers touched her skin. The thing that mattered the most to her in the world was completely absent. Her mother's ankh was missing!

"No!" she shouted. Other shoppers stared at her, bewildered.

"What? What is it?" Nathan said, but then he caught on. "Oh, I see now. Your necklace is missing! When did you last see it?"

"I...had it on this morning! But I..I...!" Amara, still shaking, told them all about Stella's initial reading, and her tarot card session.

"I really liked your necklace! I hope you can get it back..." Serena said.

"So you were in Kanaloa. That doesn't bode well, I'm afraid. You see-" Nathan said.

"Nathan, please don't say anymore!" Amara snapped. Nathan, taken aback, shut up instantly. "I know what kind of place Kanaloa is, and if you're about to tell me more about what goes on over there - Oh my god! Some guy in Gregory Street probably took it, and sold it-"

"Or maybe he just wanted to give it back to the right person!" a deep male voice said.

_Huh? _

Amara quickly turned around. It was the man with the motorcycle, still wearing the sunglasses.

"Here." In his hand was the necklace, still intact. "It fell off when you were running away. Some guy got it first, and wouldn't let it go without a fight. Thing is, I put up a better fight than he did, as usual. He won't go near me for a long time!"

"Thank you so much!" Amara said, quickly putting it back on. "Hey, you're bleeding!" She noticed his bloodied knuckles, and felt guilty. She was relieved to have her mother's keepsake back, but she never would have thought a total stranger would get into a brawl for it. "I'm so sorry. You didn't have to do that for me!"

"C'mon, you think I can't handle a little fight? I'm from Kanaloa. It comes with the territory. You gotta look after yourself there. Which is why you shouldn't come back. Too dangerous for a nice girl like you. You and the other girl could get in a lot of trouble! Oh, and that guy too. That suit's just asking for trouble." The man started to walk away, as Nathan rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath.

"Wait, what's your name?" Amara asked. The man turned around, surprised, but he had a slight smile. "I mean, this necklace means everything to me, so thank you..."

"Chill out, it was nothing. The name's Blaine Spencer. Maybe I'll see you again. Don't go back to Gregory Street, though. Got that?"

"Yeah, I gotcha. Bye!" Amara said.

"See ya." Blaine said. With that, he left, and Serena and Nathan gave Amara odd looks.

"Well, I've already met a geeky high school girl and a posh businessman in one week. I might as well add a middle-aged biker to that list."

_Outside the FDSC_

The three again made their way out of the Farawell Shadow Development Centre. The building was still empty, yet as they left, Amara thought she heard a loud bang somewhere. It was as quiet as ever, yet they could see lights on in some of the buildings. Clearly, the people were too afraid to leave their homes. Or was there a curfew in place?

"So, shall we level grind?" Serena asked. "You know, train?"

"Well, I suppose. Let's see, maybe we should check out another area of town. Let's try going to Nova Albion." Nathan said. "Getting there on foot from here will take a while, of course."

"A bit of exercise never did anyone any harm!" Amara said.

"Yeah, unless they trod on a nail, or -" Serena began saying.

"Our Personas will protect us!" Amara said. "Come on, guys, let's go tear up some Shadows!"

As the team walked to Nova Albion, they slaughtered many Shadows. Most of them were the basic ones, but some had different forms, such as a raven or a strange wig-like type. They still didn't pose much of a challenge, however, and the three felt quite comfortable using their Personas.

"Awesome, we rock!" Amara said. "It takes a lot out of you, this job."

"Indeed. We'd best conserve our strength, and know when to flee." Nathan said. Despite being just at the outskirts of Nova Albion, full of fabulous mansions and theatres, no one was around.

"No one's here at all. It's usually busy at this time of night." Serena said, as she healed Amara with Dia. "Is everyone that afraid of the Shadows?"

"I guess - wait, hold on. There's some people over there!" Amara said. "Quick, hide!" The three of them hid behind a wall. Peering behind it, they saw three young boys wearing black uniforms with red badges patrolling the street. The lamp posts were not the classic ones that graced many a postcard, but instead rather odd and post-modern designs. They made Amara feel uneasy...

"Kazuya got beaten up. He looked pissed off." Amara could make out one of them saying.

"I heard the Commander beat him up. No wonder he's in a bad mood." Another one said.

"We gotta find them, fast, before he gets us too!" the last one said.

"Damn, they're really not going to stop until we're members of the Ornatu Legion." Nathan said. "We should be ready to fight."

"Okay, but be quieter!" Serena said, keeping an eye out.

Just then the boys looked alert and ran in the group's direction. "Huh? What happened?"

"Oh no! Did they find us?" Amara whispered. Luckily, the boys didn't notice them and ran straight past them. "Oh, thank goodness!" Her relief soon turned to panic when she saw who they were going after. They approached and surrounded a familiar man, who was staggering around in a daze. _Blaine!_

"Hey, that's the Blaine guy!" Serena shouted. "Your new friend!"

"We're hardly friends. He just found my necklace! But why is he here?" Amara noticed how disoriented Blaine was, and at first thought he was just drunk. It took her a moment to remember how terrifying being trapped in this world was, especially when she only had a sword at her side.

"Did he follow us in here? If he got killed by the Shadows, then…what an idiot!" Nathan said, frustrated.

"What if it was the cloaked dude again?" Serena said. "Maybe he couldn't find Blaine the first two days?"

Blaine didn't seem fazed as the three boys of the Ornatu Legion cornered him. "Hey, you there! You haven't seen three rogue Persona users, have you?" The first boy, with spiky blue hair, asked.

"Out of the way, dickhead. I'm busy. Go home and play with your toys." Blaine said, trying to shove him aside.

"Hey, less of the attitude, mister! We're the Ornatu Legion! We're charged with protecting the citizens of this city from the Shadows, you know. You owe it to us to answer us!" the second boy, with red hair in a bowl cut, said.

"I don't owe you _shit_." Blaine snarled. Right then and there, he took out a black pistol from his pocket. The three boys gasped, and Amara turned to Nathan, expecting him to do something. He just watched, worried. Serena was itching to join in the fight too, judging by the way she was holding her whip.

"How dare you turn a weapon on us! The Ornatu Legion has saved countless civilians! We may not be as great as the Commander, or even the Holy Cross, but we're a vital organisation to this city! Now come with us, right this second!" the third boy, who was black with dreadlocked hair, said. The three of them took out their own weapons - a sword, a halberd and a gun - and were surrounded by red auras.

"The hell?" Blaine shouted, blinded by the light. "What the fuck..."

"We have to save him!" Nathan said. "You three! You want to capture him, you deal with us!" Serena, Nathan and Amara, charged at the boys.

"The wanted Persona users! Perfect! Kazuya will be pleased!" the blue haired boy said. "Come forth, Jack Frost!" With a burst of red light, a strange white creature with a constant toothy grin appeared. Wearing a fetching blue hat and a pair of shoes, it seemed to be dancing with every movement. The other two summoned 'Pyro Jack', which was a pumpkin-headed figure carrying a lantern, and 'Angel', a bizarre angel being that seemed to be wearing black bondage gear.

"Don't...lay a finger on them, you retards..." Blaine said - but the barrage of spells the boys sent at him sent him flying to the ground. Just as they ran over with their weapons, however, a blast of blue energy from Blaine's body sent them flying as well.

"Wait, what's going on?" Amara yelled. "Don't tell me, he can use a -"

Standing up, Blaine glared at the boys. Now afraid - especially after his sunglasses fell off- they backed away, but could only watch as Blaine called out the word Amara knew was coming.

"Persona!"

With a shining explosion of power, the Persona that emerged was a masculine figure with dark skin, glowing blue tattoos, gold and ruby jewellery all over him, with armour adorned with colourful blue feathers covering his waist and legs. He had spiked blue and black hair, with a gold and red feather headdress, and a silver mask covering his mouth. It's eyes were glowing a pale blue, and it was carrying a huge intricate hammer effortlessly in one hand.

**I am thou. Thou art I. I cometh from the sea of thy heart. I am Tlaloc, bringer of Lightning and Thunder! I shall take thy enemies as sacrifices!**


	9. Chapter 9: Healer of God

**Chapter 9: Healer of God**

"Holy shit... So this is what Philemon was goin' on about." Blaine said, gazing at Tlaloc. The others watched, impressed by the sight of the new Persona. Amara thought back to Stella's reading about the Magician. This must have been it.

"Crap, I wasn't counting on this..." the redhead boy said. "Daryl, what are we going to do?"

"Let's report to Richard! Now get the hell out of here!" the dreadlocked boy said, and the three of them ran off in panic.

"How come they're so scared?" Amara asked.

"Come on, you wouldn't be scared of Blaine here?" Serena asked.

"Well..." Amara pondered. Blaine's Persona did look tough and mighty, and it was clearly much stronger than either of the Ornatu Legion's.

"Even in this world, they still pee their pants when they learn who they're messing with." Blaine said, proud of himself.

Suddenly, and seemingly out of nowhere, a powerful Shadow appeared. It greatly resembled a malevolent knight, wielding a bloody lance and riding on a strange metal white horse, also wearing sturdy armour. It was also wearing a mask that resembled a crown.

"Fucking hell! These things just come of nowhere. Guess I'm gonna have to teach these things a lesson..." Blaine said, glaring at the Shadow before him.

"Perhaps you should leave this one to us." Nathan said.

"No way! Fighting on the streets in Kanaloa can prepare you for _anything_. All I gotta do is figure out how to get Tlaloc to do what I tell him to! I think I got it. Let's see... Go, Tlaloc!" Blaine watched in astonishment, as Tlaloc brought down a great jolt of lightning to strike the knight Shadow. "Whoa, this actually works!"

The Shadow, enraged, assaulted Blaine with it's lance. Pleased with the damage it inflicted, it seemed to surround itself with red energy.

"I don't get it. What's it doing?" Amara asked.

"My guess is that it's preparing for an attack. Be careful! Try to get away from it!" Nathan shouted. "Garu!" Winds struck the Shadow, but it did little damage. "Well that's just great. Try this on for size!" Setanta tried lunging at the Shadow with his spear, but this time it didn't even affect it. "What?! Oh, for god's sake. I can't even scratch this thing!"

"Looks like I'll have to come to your rescue, then! You just sit this one out, pal. Let a real man take care of it!" Blaine said. Nathan glared, and sighed. _Too bad, Nathan..._

"You can use that move again, right?" Serena asked.

"I sure can! Zio!" Another bolt of electricity hit the Shadow, causing it to fall down, unable to move.

"Alright, good work! Eat this!" Amara ran up to the Shadow, and slashed a couple of times - but her sword didn't deal much damage. "Shit. Agi!" The Shadow seemed to howl with the flames, but it wasn't nearly as much pain. Standing up, the Shadow's 'eyes' glowed a bright red, and before either of them could run away, it swung it's lance in a violent circle, charged with great dark energy.

"Argh!" Amara yelled, stumbling from the attack. "Damn you Shadows! Go to hell!" Amara was about to dash off, but she felt someone grab her arm. "Let me go!"

"Don't be so stupid! You'll just get hurt by that move again if you go after it! Wait for the right moment!" Blaine said, aiming his gun at the Shadow. Seemingly satisfied with it's attack, it started to float towards Nathan - but as Nathan was about to run away, Blaine shot the Shadow. "Now!"

"Okay, let's do this!" Amara called out. "Group attack again!" Hathor, Setanta and Artemis rose, and began to cast their spells. Just then, Tlaloc appeared beside them, and started to become imbued with great electric power. "Huh?"

"C'mon, this is my first fight. Let me in on the fun!" Blaine said, with a wicked grin.

The four Personas then called upon their elements with great force, and with their combined power, a powerful almighty sphere surrounded the Shadow, who desperately tried to break free, but to no avail. "Tetra Elemental!" The sphere, with one flash, exploded, and the Shadow was instantly vaporised.

"Hell yeah!" Blaine roared. "This Persona thing is fucking amazing!"

"Less of the language! This isn't a game, even if we wanted it to be!" Nathan shouted, irritated. "This is dangerous, and only the three of us -"

"Hey, pretty boy, didn't you see me just now? I was kicking all kinds of ass! Lighten up!" Blaine said, still exuberant. Nathan sighed, much to Blaine's amusement. "So what are your names?"

"Oh, I'm Amara Furaha. This is Nathan Albion, and this is Serena Agnethe." Amara said, holding out her hand.

"Glad to meetcha!" Blaine said, and he and Amara shook hands.

"How did you get in here, Mr Spencer?" Serena asked.

"What am I, your teacher? Just call me Blaine. I don't like that formal shit." Amara quickly looked around, but the Ornatu Legion Boys were long gone, and there weren't any more Shadows in sight. However, a couple of citizens were staring out of their windows. "Okay, well...I'm driving around town on my motorbike, so I stop for a minute in Farawell to get some cigarettes. When I come out, there's this douche in a black coat by the Black Lightning - the bike. So before I can say anything, he throws a card at me, and runs off."

"Did the card read 'Follow Me', by any chance?" Serena asked.

"Yeah. So I chased after him, but he goes inside this weird warehouse place. It smelt like shit." Ignoring Nathan's piercing glare, he continued. "So I see this weird glowing door, and just as I'm in front of it, that guy pushes me in!"

"Damn! That guy did the same to us two days ago." Serena said. "And he knew our names, too. Maybe it's destiny, huh?"

"Serena..." Nathan said, exasperated.

"No, hold on. Maybe she's right. After all, when I saw you guys walking about when I was on that balcony thing, I knew you weren't making that stuff about another world up. So I watched you guys fighting, and...I was scared you'd get torn apart by those monsters. You didn't exactly look the battle-hardened types." Blaine said.

"Yeah, it's still pretty scary." Serena said. "You should have just come up to us, if you knew who we were!"

"Well, I wanted to, but I was exhausted, and I had this feeling. This weird feeling in my chest that something was gonna come out. It wasn't like heartburn, it was something completely out of this world. Guess I know what that was now." Blaine said.

"Personas are strange. Still, it feels good to just have them. Listen, we need to fill you on the rest of the details." Amara said, and she went into a lengthy discussion on the events thus far, including the Ornatu Legion and the Holy Cross.

"Got it. Ornatu Legion, Holy Cross and this Commander are our enemies." Blaine said. "Well, might as well join in."

"Huh? We didn't say you could join us yet!" Nathan said, indignantly.

"You were going to, right? I know I'm just getting started, but the four of us can figure out what's going on, I know it!" Blaine said. "I'll let the leader decide." With that, he stared directly at Amara.

"H-huh? Why am I the leader?" Amara asked.

"You're the one with the sword! Besides, it just feels right. You seem pretty cool." Blaine said, with a wide smile. Serena agreed, and unable to say no, Nathan agreed as well.

"Okay...then the four of us will team up and get to the bottom of this!" Amara said, blushing from embarassment.

"Great! Trust me, you won't reget it. Now then, what next?" Blaine asked.

"Well, we were just training for now. Let's go back to the Farawell Shadow Development Centre, so Blaine can train!" Amara said. "Show us what you can do!"

"Don't worry, I never disappoint. From now on, I'll be kicking butt in both worlds." Blaine said, cracking his knuckles.

_Outside St Cleon's School, Farawell_

St Cleon's School was an interesting institution. In the 19th century, there were many murders that took place there, giving it a reputation for ghost stories and bouts of insanity. However, in 1958, a shady priest performed an exorcism there, and thus reports of the ghosts dropped to almost nil. Yet, once every ten years, another sighting was reported.

"Oh, that's the Ghost School!" Serena said. "Looks really creepy."

"Even more so now. It looks so lifeless, even at the weekend." Nathan said, staring at the bleak architecture. "I wonder how the Shadows have affected this place?"

"Yeah, like ghosts are real! Then again, those Shadows are pretty fucked up, too. Who knows." Blaine said, staring at the clouds. "Hey!"

"What is it?" asked Serena.

"Don't those clouds look really close?" Blaine said. Amara, staring intently at the clouds, did notice they looked closer up than normal. As if they were high up on a mountain.

"I suppose the Shadows have really screwed up the weather." Amara said, angry. "This sucks! Aeternus ruined everything!"

"Lighten up, lady! Getting grumpy will just give you wrinkles!"

Everyone gasped, and behind them was a brown haired young man, wearing a purple and blue coat with a white scarf, and white gloves. Carrying a sharp spear, his genuine smile sharply contrasted with the rest of his attire.

"Who are you - oh yeah, Holy Cross." Serena said. Somehow, she was already getting used to this world, and the danger it posed. "Let me guess. Kazuya whined about us, so they sent you?"

"That's right! He was complaing about you guys a lot! I gotta thank you, though, he's been a bit of a douche lately. I'm glad someone got to kick his butt." The man said. When he saw Blaine, he looked surprised. "Hold the phone. Who's he?"

"The guy who's going to kick _your_ butt. Blaine's the name." Blaine said. "So what's your name?"

"Uh...well, this is weird. Come on, stay cool...okay. I'm Richard Eden." Richard stared at the others, befuddled by them. "Yeah, you look like the guys we're looking for. Since you beat up Kazuya Miyazaki, Aeternus really want us to capture you. And fast. So yeah, if we don't do it soon, we're in trouble. Like, really big trouble."

"It's a bit too late to avoid that. You're trying to take us on." Nathan said, his staff at the ready.

"Oh, nice comeback. It's too bad you look so wimpy standing next to that guy." Richard said, pointing at Blaine. Nathan, despite being very infuriated, said nothing. Blaine just smiled, and shrugged. "Well, don't hate me for this, okay? We need more Persona users. Not just so we can all have a picnic and cook meats with Agi spells, but so we can kill Shadows and make people safer and stuff. So if you're not gonna join us right away, we'll have to make you! Here goes nothing! Raphael!" This time, it was Richard's turn to unveil his Persona.

The entity that emerged from his body was an angel with plain brown hair and wore scarlet red armour, complete with a holy tabard and an angelic sash. Carrying a golden magic staff with a blue orb in the centre of it, it flapped it's pink energy wings that matched the hue of it's skin.

"So that's why you guys are the Holy Cross. Your Personas are all angels!" Serena said, amazed.

"Really? Took you that long to figure it out, huh? Wish mine was something cooler like Metatron." Richard said. "You know, the one with the million eyes!"

"Guys, we are _not_ here to discuss Judeo-Christian mythology!" Nathan shouted. "Richard, we have no interest in joining the Holy Cross! Yet we're not going to kill you."

"Yeah. We're just going to bash your face in." Blaine said. "Bring it! Tlaloc!"

"Huh?" Richard shouted, but his surprised faded when he saw Tlaloc appear. "This is getting weird. Okay, let me show you something cool! Air Brake!" A bright flashing gale struck Amara, hurting more than a basic Garu spell. Not only that, when she tried to move, she felt sluggish…

"Huh? What happened?" she asked. It was like being hung-over, but she still had a clear mind. Richard seemed pleased by the result.

"Can't you tell? It made you slower!" Richard struck Amara with his spear, and she was too slow to block. However, Richard was open and got shot by Blaine several times.

"Argh!" Richard cried. "Personas protect us from bullet wounds. Cool, huh? It still hurts like hell. Owwie!"

"Guess I have to go all out, then!" Blaine shouted. "Go! Tlaloc! Or something!" A bolt of electricity struck Richard, hurting him a bit.

"Amara, are you okay?" Serena asked. "Dia!" A healing pulse of energy entered Amara's body, but she still felt lethargic. Her sword felt so much heavier, making swinging it a chore.

"Can't you guys go easy on me? Take this! Garu!" Raphael hit Nathan with a wind blast, but Nathan just shrugged it off.

"I'm a wind guy too, you know. Try this!" Setanta struck Richard with his spear, causing him intense agony. Amara noted physical moves hurt him a lot, but at the moment swinging her sword was too much strain.

"Argh! Your weapons hurt!" Richard said. "Oh crap! I shouldn't have said that!"

"Don't feel bad. You're helping us beat you!" Blaine said, and Tlaloc raised into the air, and pounded Richard with incredible strength.

"Oh, god!" Richard said, struggling to stand up. "I'm not finished yet! Taste dirt!" Raphael's next attack was an earth spell, which had Nathan let out a massive yell of agony. "Alright! I can still do this! Maybe." Richard said, rushing towards Nathan. Yet, Amara finally shrugged off the fatigue, and slashed Richard from behind with great fury.

"Playtime's over! Let's finish this!" With each of their Personas, they attacked Nathan one last time, finally making him surrender.

"I guess I should have thought that one through!" Richard said. "Let's call that a training session and just ignore it, huh? Pretty please?" he said, with puppy dog eyes.

"Call it whatever you like. Now go away, and let this be a warning to the Ornatu Legion!" Nathan said. With that, Richard waved smiling as he ran off - even as the four of them just stood there, confused.

"The Holy Order don't seem like bad people, do they?" Amara said. "Yet we can't tell then what we know."

"I know. Now's not the right time. There's still too much we don't understand." Nathan said, frowning. "In our world, all the information about the explosion is too vague. And...ugh! If only I had more facts to go on!"

"Take it easy. We're just getting started, right?" Blaine said. "Besides, we're doing great. If we have to beat up everyone in Aeternus to get answers, we'll do it!"

"Sounds like a plan!" Serena said. "I just wonder what the other two Holy Cross members are like. And this 'Commander' they keep talking about."

"Yeah. Kazuya said he was really tough, so we'll have to be careful of him." Amara said. "So can we get going? I don't like being in front of the same school that had someone getting strangled in the gym."

"That brings back memories." Blaine said, with a straight face. As soon as everyone gave him weird looks, he burst out laughing. "I'm kidding! No one's _died_ in Kanaloa's schools. They just get sent to the hospital a lot. Usually if they tried to mess with me or my buddies."

"How commendable." Nathan retorted, sarcastically.

_Outside the FSDC_

"Unbelivable! It's ten o'clock!" Nathan said, upon checking his wristwatch. "We shouldn't do this too often. Let's take tomorrow off."

"Great! Then me and Kyle can just spend the whole day on WoW!" Serena said, excited.

"What is that, some new drug?" Blaine said to Amara, quietly. Amara burst out laughing, causing more odd looks from Nathan. "I guess I'll just chill out at home. After all this crap, I could use a drink."

"Me too! I might call some of my college friends, and ask them to come to Saragel." Amara said. "One time I was so drunk, I couldn't remember my way home, so I walked into a convenience store and fell asleep. The weird thing was, the guy just let me sleep on the floor."

"Oh please, that's kids stuff. On my nights out, me and the guys get so drunk we can't even remember our names. I guess you'll get there one day!" Blaine said, sniggering. "Well, sounds like you girls have fun weekends planned. Guess Nathan's doing important work for the almighty Albion Inc, so we can't all have fun."

"Actually, I was planning on having a quiet day at home with my girlfriend." Nathan said, rolling his eyes. Amara could tell he did not look forward to fighting alongside Blaine. Serena just laughed, but Nathan's icy look did not soften. Blaine actually looked annoyed at Nathan's comment, but didn't respond.

"Alright then! We're off home. Let's forget about the Holy Cross, even if it's just for one day." Yet, the minute the four headed towards the entrance, someone was already in front of them. A young woman, around eighteen, with radiant orange hair like the sunset. The hue of her hair and her face reminded Amara of someone, somehow. Wearing a white and blue coat, gloves and boots, she had a soft, yet strong look to her face.

The five of them just stood there in silence. "Are you in the Holy Cross?" Nathan finally asked the mysterious girl. With a gentle smile, she shook her head.

"No, not at all. I'm on your side, not theirs! Please, come with me."


	10. Chapter 10: To Bring Peace

**Chapter 10: To Bring Peace**

The team didn't say a word as they followed the girl into the FSDC, and went towards the door device. She seemed to know the place rather well, but she was rather wary of something - the Shadows, most likely. When they got to the teleportation room, the girl looked at the code on the right hand side.

"I'm Aimee Davenport. I swear, I'm _not_ part of the Holy Cross!" she said, sincerely. "But if you want to fight them, please listen to what I'm about to say. You know what this device is, right?"

"Yes. So far, we've been using it to go between our world and this one. Or rather, between different realities." Nathan said.

"Different realities? What do you mean?" Aimee asked. Understandably, she looked confused. Nathan gave a long explanation of everything that had happened so far. During this explanation, he introduced the others.

"And that's everything so far. That must have been a lot of detail to absorb at once." Nathan said.

"He means he couldn't make this shit up if he tried." Blaine said. Nathan glared at him, and Amara sighed. _They're from different worlds...metaphorically speaking._

"Um...I think I get it. It's hard to understand, but I think I believe you. So your New Motus City is free from Shadows?" Aimee said, amazed. "That's - never mind, we'll talk about that later. These devices can all connect to one another, using codes. This device's code must lead to the one in your world. Perhaps they're the exact same one. They're called 'NDD'. Neo Dimension Door."

"Cool name. We're really confused about what happened ourselves. We know Aeternus was at a convention ten years ago and there was an explosion that killed a lot of people." Amara said. "After that, Aeternus fell apart. Only a handful of employees came to the event, but all of them died."

"Amazing..." Aimee took out a black notepad, and wrote down the door's code. "If you use this code, you should be able to get back to your world with any NDD. Don't worry, it'll reset after you go through. Now, we're going to go somewhere else!" Aimee pushed some keys on the NDD, and after a beep and a flash, she went through.

"You sure we should do this?" Blaine said, scratching his head. "I mean, what if she **is **one of the Holy Cross?

"Well, it might be risky, but I think we can trust her for now." Amara said. "Let's go!"

With Amara leading the way, the four of them went through.

_Mystery Basement_

The location was a basement of some kind, but there didn't seem to be any way upstairs. Plainly decorated, with just a few tables and chairs, the place's only noteworthy feature was a giant computer system, which seemed to be constantly running operations.

"So, where are we?" Serena asked. "Your secret headquarters?"

"Actually, yes!" Aimee said, cheerfully. "It's not much to look at, is it? It's hard to get supplies with the Ornatu Legion constantly hunting for Persona users like us. Still, it's somewhere safe."

"How many of you are there?" Nathan asked. Staring at the bare light bulb on the ceiling, he seemed concerned at the lack of light.

"Five, including me. All four of them are training outside. Don't worry, they're professionals. The Ornatu Legion's never managed to catch us, much to their Commander's chagrin." Aimee said, still cheerful. "Still, there's not a lot we can do at the moment. Since you're new here, let me tell you what happened to our world."

"Right." Blaine said. "So Shadows came here ten years ago?"

"Yes...at the convention you speak of, the six members of Aeternus that gathered revealed they had discovered dark monsters during their experiments. They claimed they had tried to stop them from coming, but to no avail. So using their Personas and other technology, they were able to attack them."

"Whoa!" Amara said. Try as she might, she couldn't remember any of this. She was definitely there that day, though. If bizarre, paranormal equipment blew up then, though, anything could have happened.

"Pretty much the next day, the Shadows were everywhere and Aeternus were the only ones who could stop it. The government pretty much gave up and let them have the city. Soon afterwards, the city was locked from the rest of the world, and all outside contact was lost." Aimee said, looking serious. "No one argued, because they thought Aeternus were the heroes trying to stop the apocalypse."

"They're lying! We know they are!" Nathan said, angrily.

"I know. I found that out after the convention, with all the people screaming at the sight of the Shadows. I managed to sneak past the Ornatu Legion with my brother." Amara noticed Aimee's face got sad, but kept quiet. "The six of them, hidden away, discussed their plans. I didn't understand most of it, but they were the ones who were using the Shadows! They wanted to seal the city away from the rest of the world and take it over, to one day have enough power for something. And I think it involves the entire world." The others gasped.

"Really? They just wanted to rule the world?" Nathan said, thinking. "With such powerful creatures, and so few able to fight them, it makes me wonder what would take them so long to take over the world."

"I've been wondering that since then. Anyway, they caught us, so they sent some Shadows at us, and disappeared. My brother…he didn't survive. He gave me enough time to run away. Soon after that, my parents…" Aimee said, tearfully. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you all sad. This world must be a massive shock to you."

"Don't worry about it." Amara said, putting her hand on Aimee's shoulder. "We're here now, right? So we're going to help you guys out in anyway we can. We can't just ignore this now!"

"Yeah." Blaine said. "But we're just newbies. If we hang out with these guys, we'll get stronger! So count me in!"

"It wouldn't be honourable to ignore this situation. I'll help you too, Aimee." Nathan said.

"This is so cool! We're joining an underground resistance!" Serena said, excitedly. "Do we get codenames?"

"I don't think we'll need those! That'd get confusing!" Aimee said, looking more lively. "So if you guys are sure you want to join us, please come back tomorrow. It's a bit late tonight for you to meet the rest, they won't be back until midnight."

"I suppose we're coming back tomorrow, then." Serena said, looking depressed. "Well, if it's just to meet the others, then that's okay!"

"Well, then let's head straight here next time. It might be good to stay out of the public eye in this world for a while, anyway." Nathan said.

Nathan, Serena and Blaine said farewell, and left the NDD, using the code for the real world. "Oh!" Aimee said, as Amara was leaving.

"What?" Amara asked.

"If you really are from another reality, then the versions of you four in this world may have Personas too. So look out, okay?" Aimee said. "And please, be careful! If any of the others are jealous of your world, I'll tell them off."

"Thanks, Aimee." Amara smiled, and shook hands with Aimee. Despite all the battles Amara would face, she was glad to make new friends. Hopefully, the other four members would be nice. How long would this last, though? Would she be doing this for months? Years? It wasn't just a hobby, it was a serious commitment. Amara would have to wait and see how this would turn out.

_The Next Day, Solar Ray Mall_

Amara, excited for tonight, was delighted when her father called and invited her over for dinner. Ever since she moved out, the only company he had was work colleagues and the housemaid. Still, she made it a ritual to come over for dinner at least one a month. Looking for a new outfit in Rosa Candida, she soon gasped at a woman looking at the blue floral dresses. "Karen!"

"Oh, hello Amara! We're already on first name basis, then? Good girl!" Karen said, with a huge smile. The two discussed their weekends - yet Amara left out most of the truth. She might still tell Stella the intricate details, but Karen would never understand. "So I haven't told anyone else this, but I'm getting divorced soon!" Karen said, very happy.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Amara said, not sure if this was something to celebrate or not.

"No, it's great This husband turned out to be a total asshole. Like the other three." Karen said. "Not one of them was anything like - oh, sorry, that's just me rambling." Amara and Karen discussed Karen's previous marriages, and laughing off Karen's claims marriage was 'like a death sentence', they went their separate ways. With a new dress, Amara started to go home, when she saw a flower stall outside the mall.

_Maybe I should go get Dad some flowers._ Amara was feeling spontaneous, and looked at the stall more closely. The name of the stall was 'Bianca's Garden', and the lady there, presumably the eponymous Bianca, was an attractive lady. She had lovely fair skin and black hair tried up in a bun. From the flower hairclip, Amara could tell Bianca was quite the flower aficionado.

"Hi there! Welcome to Bianca's Flower Garden! How can I help you?" Bianca asked, with a genuine smile. The aroma of each flower was soothing, and took Amara's mind off the Shadows completely.

"I'll take some of the jasmines, please." Amara said. Those were her father's favourite. The last gift he gave to Amara's mother was a single jasmine, which he said was the most beautiful one in the world.

"Nice choice! Then again, I'd say that no matter what you picked. Hehe..." Bianca said.

After buying the flowers, Amara left, eager to see her father's delighted face.

_Kanaloa, Gregory Street_

"Boy, what a night." Blaine said, as he went into his house's living room. Despite the faded wallpaper, it was one of the less foul homes of the area. It was small and quaint, but that suited Blaine and Dan, his best friend, fine. Dan was sitting in the living room right now, watching the morning news.

"Oh, there you are! Thought you'd never wake up. Where'd you go last night, anyway? I was lookin' all over!" Dan said, mockingly shaking his head. "You should have called, you know."

"Sorry, Dan..." Blaine said, yawning. He didn't get much sleep, after all the chaos of the previous night. His plans of getting wasted over the weekend were foiled too, as he'd have to go back to that weird world again. To think he'd have to spend his evening with those three again. Two girls too young and too good for him to hang around, and a preppy man from Nova Albion.

"So, last night. What happened?" Dan asked.

"I...just got to a bar in Farawell. Had a lot on my mind." Blaine said, with a gnawing feeling in his stomach. Blaine considered himself a lot of things - rude, violent, reckless - but he never lied to people. Yet if he told Dan any of this, people would just think he was crazy. Only Amara, Nathan and Serena knew the truth. Maybe they had to lie to their friends, as well.

"Really? You had something on your mind? That's a first!" Dan said, chuckling.

"I do think about more than just girls, you know!" Blaine said.

"Yeah, booze and motorcycles. You're such a scintillating person to talk to!" Dan said jokingly.

"Speak for yourself! " Blaine said. "So, doing anything today?"

"No, not really. There's nothing good on TV, except that weird antique auction crap." Dan said.

"Figures. C'mon, let's go out for a ride. Now that my bike's fixed, I'm ready to go!" With the prospect of spending another evening in that other reality, Blaine would relish this moment of normality, just racing Dan all over town. From today onward, life wouldn't be normal.

_Furaha Household, Legarte_

"It's good to be home." Amara said, as she went inside the family home. Despite the house being rather grand on the outside, with large sprawling gardens and elaborate fountain features, the inside felt warm and inviting. So many relics of her homeland were here…and so many memories. Her father, Rudo Furaha, often put work aside to enjoy his weekends, and usually spent Sundays on the phone with his pride and joy. Today, she was finally home.

"Amara, is that you? Come in here and say hello to your father!" Said the kind voice from the living room. Without any hesitation, Amara ran inside and hugged her father.

"Dad, how have you been? " Amara said. "Here, I brought you something!" Giving him the flowers, she was delighted to see her father's joy.

"It's beautiful. It's just like you - radiant and full of life! Thank you, Amara. Now tell me all about the Real People job!

So over dinner - a three course banquet - Amara told her father everything she could, about her co-workers, her boss, her duties, and she even talked a little bit about Stella. However, she didn't go into any detail about the other world. How could she tell him about her Persona power, or the others? Especially Blaine. Her father disliked people of his sort.

"This Stella character sounds interesting. You should try to get to know her, understand her somewhat." Rudo said, eating the roast beef. "You two may seem completely different, but there must be something that you can bond over."

"Maybe there is." Amara said, without thinking. "I-I mean, yeah, I'll talk to her tomorrow! She's a bit quiet, but her psychic powers are pretty cool. Thing is, she lives in Kanaloa."

"Oh. Well, I would never risk going there. Do you have any idea how dangerous that place is? I had to go through there once, and that was enough. I nearly got robbed, five times! Of course, I was wearing my best suit at the time." Rudo said. "Also, Thomas was asking about you."

"Aww, that's nice! I'll have to catch up with him later. Tell him everything's going great for me!" Amara said. "Wait, I'll give him a call myself." Thomas Weiken was her father's business partner, and had become a family friend.

And so the evening went perfectly. Normally, this would have just been another dinner at home for Amara, but now it was a lovely break from fighting those monsters. And yet, she could not tell him the truth.

When it was time for Amara to go, she thought she head the floorboards creaking? "What was that?" Amara asked, concerned. "You think someone's up there?"

"Surely not! If they tried to get in, the alarm would go off. It's never failed before. It's better than that smoke alarm we used to have." Rudo said, laughing. "Don't worry about a thing. You just go home and have a good week, okay? Talk to you soon!" After a long and tight hug, Amara said goodbye and left the house, and headed towards Farawell.

"Is this going to be a routine? Maybe I should put this in my calendar..."

_Secret Base_

"Hey, good to see you guys again!" Aimee said, running over to the gang as they came out of the NDD. "Most of the others are still busy with stuff, but Kyle's here! Say hello!"

"Hello." A young boy, in a wheelchair, was typing on the huge computer with an incredible pace. His black hair was long and untamed, and he had a green headset on. He had glasses, and was wearing a dark yellow and black jacket. He turned around to stare at the team, with a cold glare.

"He's shy." Aimee said, ignoring the tension.

"Wait...Kyle?" Serena said, in shock. "Kyle McHale?"

"That's correct. But how did you know my name?" Kyle shouted, in confusion.

"Aimee told you about us being from a different reality, didn't she? We're friends in our world. You have the same eyes, the same face, and you're in a wheelchair!" Serena said, staring closely at Kyle. "It's definitely you, Kyle."

"Then who are you?" Kyle asked, still cold.

"Serena Agnethe." Serena said, gazing into Kyle's eyes. The others introduced themselves, but Kyle looked at Serena intently. "We met two years ago, in the library of our high school. We've been hanging out since then. I suppose we never met over here."

"Of course not. I haven't attended school since I was ten years old. It's reassuring to know my other self appears to be doing well. I bet he doesn't have to worry about the government hunting him down every day."

"I..." Serena said, but she couldn't bring herself to respond to that. To see the face of someone so close to her being so cold and distant must have been hard on her.

"Serena, are you alright?" Aimee said, concerned. "Don't worry about him. Sit down, everyone. Tonight, we actually have a mission for you all. It's nothing too major, just recon." The team sat down, intrigued.

"Recon, huh? Sounds stealthy. Give us a briefing!" Blaine said, getting excited. Kyle sighed, but when he saw Serena look away, he seemed to soften a little.

"Well, everyone, the Ornatu Legion are a group of Persona users designated to protect citizens from Shadows. There's a lot of them, and the majority are kids my age. The schools of the city are used to 'train' kids, mentally and physically, to prepare them for the Ornatu Legion. Only the best of the best are given the special artificial Personas. Hence their red aura, compared to our natural blue hue." Kyle said, and images of the Ornatu Legion in uniform appeared.

"The city adores them, because they're keeping the Shadows at bay." Aimee said, as Kyle displayed photos of the Ornatu Legion destroying the dark monsters. "However, the artificial Personas are really unstable. Early tests caused the victims to go insane, and die. Even now, there's always a risk of mental damage...as well as physical." Aimee said. "Kyle's tried hacking to find out more, but to no avail."

"Why are the artificial Personas so dangerous to use?" Nathan asked, staring at the Personas on screen. The current one, a strange elephant with one eye called 'Girimehkala', was rather grotesque, and the user, a young girl, seemed to be in distress from using it.

"I don't know for sure, but the most likely reason is that natural Personas are reflections of a person's soul, and thus don't cause problems for their users. After all, 'I am thou, thou art I'. Yet, when it comes to these fake Personas, they're made some other way." Kyle said. "That way, we're going to find out tonight."

"How?" Amara asked.

Kyle, typing on his computer, brought up the image of a school with white walls and large gates. It had an old look to it, and Serena gasped upon the sight of it.

"Your goal, ladies and gentlemen, is to break into Lucille Valley High School and investigate the facilities."


	11. Chapter 11: Messenger of God

**Chapter 11: Messenger of God**

"Seriously? We're breaking into our school?" Serena said. "I mean, my school!"

"I take it I go there in your world, then? This alternate reality thing must be true. But researching that is another matter. Let's focus on this one." Kyle said, displaying pictures of the inside. "High schools all over the city are where members of the Ornatu Legion are initiated. Every time it happens, the city thinks it's a big event. One step closer to the end of the Shadows."

"In desperate times, people cling for any hope they can get. It's sad." Nathan said. "Blind hope brings nothing but pain."

"Check Nathan out, guys, he thinks he's a psychologist!" Blaine said, rolling his eyes.

"Gentlemen, I'm the one in control of the giant computer. Attention on me please!" Kyle said, angrily. "Now try and listen. The proper initiation won't take place until July, so we need to quickly work out what equipment they use to give the fake Personas and sabotage it."

"Awesome! So we get to tear the machines up?" Serena said. "Bring it on!"

"That's not entirely what I meant by sabotage." Kyle said, sighing. "We can't make it obvious they're broken, or they'll just fix them. We need to just tamper with the inner mechanism. That way, the initiation will be stopped - for a time."

"We've just managed to get the codes for Lucille Valley." Aimee said, handing a sheet of paper to Amara. "With this, you'll be able to get to get inside, in the secret basement. You'll need to look around and find the machinery, then contact us using this." Aimee then handed over a white cell phone to Amara, which was clearly made out of scrap materials.

"Alright, sounds like a plan. When do we go?" Blaine said.

"It's about 9:46 pm, so whenever you're ready." Aimee said. "Don't worry guys, you'll be fine. If you get in trouble, just call me. We've got Personas too, so we can handle any tough Shadows. There shouldn't be any Ornatu Legion or Holy Cross members inside." Aimee said. "Be careful anyway."

"Got it. We'll head out in a minute." Amara said. "Finally, our first mission! Let's do this thing!"

"She's really getting into this leadership thing!" Blaine said, smiling.

"Well, at least she's not likely to be distracted by a bar..." Nathan said. "Let's do our best."

"Yeah! Our first real dungeon! The Disc One Boss is coming up!" Serena said, giggling. Kyle sighed, but Serena ignored him.

_Lucille Valley High School_

The four of them wound up in a dark, damp room, with various cardboard boxes and mops. Serena looked around, and found some dusty folders, with many pages inside. Upon opening a folder, she gasped.

"What? What's wrong?" Blaine asked, running over.

"There's a lot of students in here!" Serena said. Amara and Nathan looked as well, and were shocked to discover the high number of pupils who were subject to Ornatu Legion initiation. Almost the entire school.

"This is dated back to 2003-04." Amara noticed. There was another scrap of paper in the folder that especially alarmed her. "All participants of this year were dead after six months. The process needs fine tuning. Josephine."

"Who's she?" Nathan asked. "I guess that's not important. Right now, we have to act fast and find these artificial Persona machines."

"Yeah, and they're not going to be in those boxes. Let's go!" Blaine shouted, running out of the room. The other three followed, and ran through the dark hallways, searching every room in the basement, but they were just kitchens, storerooms, and disused gas rooms.

"That took forever and we still didn't find what we were looking for. It's like trying to find Expiation beer at the store." Blaine said.

"I guess they're upstairs. C'mon, hurry!" Amara shouted. Quickly, they ran upstairs…

_Aeternus Headquarters, Outside Commander's Office_

"Get out of my face!" A furious voice was heard booming all over the hall. "You're fucking useless, Richard. Always have been, always will be!"

"Have mercy, master!"

A helpless Richard was thrown outside of the office, onto a cold stone floor. The hallways was pure white, with only black plush chairs as decoration. Richard quickly stood up, but before he could say anything, the door slammed shut. The Commander was clearly not in a good mood, after the second failed attempt to capture the Persona users.

"Oww…" Richard cried. "This sucks."

"Oh, you too?" Kazuya said, walking up to his comrade. "Alastair was getting worried."

"Yeah. He said if we don't get them soon, he'll really use the...BL." Richard whispered. Kazuya's look of absolute horror chilled Richard's spine. "If only we could stand a chance against him!"

"I wish. Wait, we can't talk about that outside his office. He'll hear us! Let's go to our room!" Grabbing Richard's arm, Kazuya ran all the way to the Holy Cross office, dragging Richard across the floor.

The Holy Cross office was probably the most wholesome building in the entire headquarters. While the walls and floor were still completely white, there was a worn orange rug on the floor, a remnant from Richard's house, as well as a soccer ball covered in soot. There was also a stole idol of the Japanese god Arahabaki on the shelf too, as well as everyone's favourite meals. Richard and Kazuya sat down on the sofa, but neither felt like lying back and relaxing. The Commander despised laziness, and his punishments were rather harsh.

"I'm confused. Why didn't those guys know who the Holy Cross were?" Richard said.

"I don't know. There's something weird about all this. Especially the last guy!" Kazuya said.

"Oh yeah. I didn't tell the Commander about that part. Do you think I should have?" Richard said, worried. The prospect of another beating was not one any of the Holy Cross desired.

"No! But we have to keep it a secret. That goes for the others too." Kazuya said. "Not only that, I was looking at their pictures. Don't they look familiar to you?"

"Oh yeah! The blonde chick, she looks like the girl who got killed last year." Richard said, thinking back. "And I'm sure I've seen the other two before."

"Yes. The other woman. She looks like the daughter of that oil guy, but didn't she have a scar on her face?" Kazuya said. "Damn, this is weird. I'm hoping all of this is coincidence."

"I don't think it is, Kaz. The redhead guy looks exactly like the son of the old guy in charge of Albion." Richard said. "Still think it's a coincidence?"

"Well, in that case, we'll keep it a secret to ourselves for now. This will be between the four of us, Richard. Keep it a secret, okay? You **are **pretty lousy at keeping secrets, you know." Kazuya said, glaring.

"Don't worry! If I can keep the secret about Alastair taking money out of your wallet, I can keep this one!" Kazuya stared blankly as Richard smiled innocently. "Wait, I wasn't supposed to tell you that, was I?"

_Lucille Valley Auditorium_

"Nothing on the ground floor so far." Amara said, bored. "What do these machines even look like?"

"No idea, but we'll probably know when we see 'em." Blaine said. "Just look for any freaky ass stuff."

"Last time I checked, a chemistry set does _not_ qualify as 'freaky ass stuff'." Nathan said, thoroughly looking around. "Quoting you is painful."

"Well, don't do it. Save your energy for the Shadows!" Blaine said. "With all these red chairs, it's like a theatre."

"Hold on. Let's go on the stage. Look behind the red curtain!" Serena said. "If we're lucky, it won't just be crappy second hand props for the school play. Or the Math teachers making out."

"I guess this school is freaky in both worlds, then." Amara said, shuddering. As they pulled open the red curtains, they gasped at what they saw. Strange, jet-black cockpit like machines, with red tubes connecting to something behind the auditorium.

"They look like things out of _Gundam_!" Serena said, astonished. Walking over, she touched them. "Cold...it's even colder than a freezer."

"It's like we're stuck in a sci-fi movie. Like they suck the kid's brains out to create a race of super zombies. But this is worse. They're putting fake feelings into their minds." Blaine said, disgusted.

"I know. We have to stop this, and fast. Let's go in there!" Amara said, pointing to a steel door with a sign bolted to it that read "DO NOT ENTER: Aeternus Personnel Only". "We just need to knock it down!"

"Wait, Amara, we should be more careful -" Nathan said, but before he could finish, Hathor appeared and used her sword to break the door.

"Shit! If that sets off an alarm, we're screwed!" Blaine yelled. Amara gulped, and stood still for quite some time. Serena, Nathan, and Blaine glanced around, anxious, but no alarm came.

"Looks like we're okay..." Amara said.

"That was fucking stupid. Just hold your horses, would ya? I guess we might as well go in now..."

_Behind the Auditorium_

"Oh my god!"

Serena screamed at what she saw. In large glass canisters were powerful looking Shadows, that seemed especially distressed at their current state. There were computers next to the canisters that seemed to display images of Personas, such as one of a strange multicoloured male called 'Dionysus'.

"So the Shadows get turned into Personas..." Amara said. "These monsters go inside their minds, and kill them from within?!"

"Hey. It says Rank V on here. What does that even mean?" Blaine asked, confused.

"I'm guessing they rank the Personas based on their strength and decide which students are best suited to them. Ugh." Nathan looked like he was going to throw up. Amara felt the same way.

"Guys, what now? Should we contact Aimee?" Serena asked.

"Y-yeah. Let me ring her." Amara took the phone out of her pocket, and called the only number listed in the address book. The keys were rather stiff, but she managed to get through.

"Amara! Did you find the machines?" Aimee said.

"Yeah!" Amara said, still in shock. "They're turning the Shadows into fake Personas!"

"What?!" Aimee shouted. "Okay, stay there. Me and Kyle will come in a minute. You didn't touch anything, did you?"

"We broke down a steel door…" Amara said, nervously. "I'm sorry!"

"Drat. Don't worry about that, I'm sure me and the others can sort it out. Give us some time to think of something, okay? Stay put and don't touch _anything_ else." Aimee then hung up, leaving Amara looking embarrassed.

"Well, it wasn't the best way to get in here, but it seems like things will be okay. Think next time, okay?" Nathan said to Amara.

"Yeah, I will. I'm sorry." Amara said, looking down.

"Hey, did you hear that sound?" Serena said.

"Nope. What was it?" Blaine asked.

"I thought I heard footsteps." Serena said. "It's probably just Aimee or Kyle, so don't worry!"

After a few seconds, there was a loud noise that sounded like a blade cutting air. Before the others could react, a Shadow jumped in front of the gang, brandishing a large katana. Wearing blue samurai armour, it had a blue mask with an indignant expression.

"Urgh, why now?!" Amara shouted. "Guys, get ready!"

"Wait! We shouldn't -" But before Nathan could finish, Amara jumped at the Shadow with her sword, with Hathor doing the same, but the Shadow barely flinched. With a powerful slash, he sent Amara and the others into the wall.

"Dammit, Amara! That one's too much for us!" Blaine said, furious. "What now?"

"We have to get away!" Serena said. "Think of a distraction!"

"Hmm." Nathan thought to himself, although the Samurai Shadow was approaching, ready to attack again. "I've got it -"

"Persona!" Blaine called out, and Tlaloc appeared in the centre of the room, taunting the Shadow. Angry, the Shadow rushed at Tlaloc, but he just avoided the attacks and kept moving around the room.

"That...works too." Nathan said, bemused.

"Good thinking. Let's go!" Amara and the others ran outside, quickly, and before the Shadow could follow them, Nathan used Setanta to put the steel door back in place.

"It won't hold! Let's get out of here!" Nathan shouted - but before the team could do this, they saw someone standing on the stage, glaring at them. Amara gasped at her face. She had seen that very face earlier that day. Her hair was very untamed and long, like a lion's mane. She had soft pink eyes, yet now they were indignant. With a green tunic, tights and boots, her outfit looked like it was made out of leaves, and her armlets looked like vines. In one hand was a sharp sword with a rose hand guard, and in the other was a beautiful red rose.

"I see you didn't realise the alarm _did_ go off. You uncouth vandals, you will pay for your treachery!" she said.

"Bianca!" Amara shouted. It was the same Bianca, the nice girl running the flower store. This Bianca wasn't like her, though.

"That's correct. I am Bianca Summers, of the Holy Cross. I was minding my own business, tending to the flowers behind this school, when I got word someone had broken into the Personality Enhancement Area. I didn't expect it to be you awful people! Your negative vibes will hurt the flowers!" Bianca said, glaring at them.

"You know this girl?" Serena asked Amara.

"Yeah, she sells flowers at the mall!" Amara said. Bianca gave her an odd look.

"Amara, what are you doing?! Stop it!" Nathan shouted.

"Flowers at a mall?" Bianca thought for a minute. "I've never done anything like that! Whatever! From the sound of things, you're suffering from memory loss. Perhaps I can knock some sense into you thugs!"

"Listen lady, we beat up Richard and Kazuya already. Do we really have to beat up a lady like you?" Blaine said, shrugging.

"Huh?!" Bianca gasped at Blaine. "What's going on here?! Who are you?"

"Blaine Spencer, master of the Black Lightning!" Blaine said. He didn't seem fazed at her reaction "Sorry, baby, but for for some reason I don't think we're compatible."

"No, that's not what I - why are there - never mind! I can have the higher ups deal with that. For now, I'm going to have to take you down! My beloved Persona, come forth! **Gabriel**!"

"Oh goody, another angel." Serena said.

With yet another burst of blue energy, a beautiful female angel appeared. Despite having green skin, she was an elegant dainty being, with long flowing blue hair and a white rose in her hand. Brandishing a white sword, she had blue armour complete with a white necklace.

"Mabufu!" With one twirl of her rose, she sent forth a rain of ice down on the entire team.

"Ow ow ow ow OW! That's _cold_!" Amara shouted, cursing her weakness. "Who do you think you are?!"

"Didn't I tell you? I'm one of the Holy Cross! Together, we'll save this city from Shadows one day!" Bianca shouted, then she attacked Amara with her sword.

"No! You don't get to freeze me!" Amara said, in pain. "Agi!" A burst of flame caused Bianca similar pain, and Serena reacted swiftly and struck her with her whip.

"Time to clip this girl's wings!" Blaine shouted. Ignoring Nathan rolling his eyes, Tlaloc emerged, which caused Bianca to scream in shock. "Hammer Crush!" With a powerful swing of his almighty golden hammer, he bashed Bianca, further punishing her.

"You people are stronger than I expected! Take this! Malaqua!" A burst of water struck all four of them, and Serena shrugged it off. Yet, Blaine was hurt immensely by this attack. "Wonderful! As I thought!"

"What do you mean, 'thought'? I haven't even used any Zio spells yet!" Blaine said, pissed off.

"That's something for me to know. Looks like I've got the advantage now. Hama!" The holy cards appeared around Blaine again, and this time, they caused a strange reaction in him.

"Oh shit -" Blaine fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Brilliant! I'll succeed where Richard and Kazuya could not! With the majesty of my grace, you shall fall! Bufu!" Gabriel raised her rose again, but before the ice could reach Amara, Nathan rushed over and pushed her out of the way. "What?!"

"I won't let you take her down too! It's time you wilted!" Angry, Nathan commanded Setanta's winds into blades of air, and they turned into what looked like Raphael's Air Break spell.

"What - that's Richard's move!" Bianca tried to dash at Amara, but she couldn't move fast enough. Reacting swiftly, Amara slashed Bianca many times, and as she was trying to cast Agi, she felt a new power.

"Flare Hail!" Amara called out. Feeling the fire rise up in her blood, she sent forth a rain of small fireballs that had a strange air to them.

"This cannot be happening! Why do I feel so weak?!" Bianca screamed. Serena, blocking many swings from Gabriel's sword, cast Aqua on Bianca, but with no affect.

"Ow! I need to help Blaine. Give me a second!" Serena said, running over to Blaine. But before she could do anything, someone burst into the room. "Aimee!"

"Guys, are you alright? I got here as fast as I could!" she shouted.

"There's more of you?" Bianca shouted, enraged. "Begone, madam! This is between me and these unsightly brutes!"

"Unsightly brutes? You're the least pretty female here!" Blaine said.

"I am _not_! Be quiet!" Bianca shouted, and she blasted him with Bufu again.

"Hold on!" Aimee said. "Persona!"

Emerging from her body with blue energy once again was a pale white woman, with short silver hair and a giant floating blue glyph behind her. Wearing a white cape, gauntlets, high heel boots and a blue and white dress, complete with a white cape, she didn't look especially powerful at all. "Irene, return Blaine to his full vitality!"

With a breathtaking flash of light, supreme amounts of energy flowed from Irene into Blaine's body.

"Ugh..." Blaine, stirring, stood up, holding his head. "The fuck just happened?"

"Blaine! Are you okay?" Aimee shouted.

"Yeah! Now that you're here, we can kick her ass in no time!" Blaine shouted.

"Kick my ass? With language like that, you're not fit to use such a powerful Persona! I will _never_ lose to you! Malaqua!" The blast of water hit everyone again, causing Blaine a lot of pain once more.

"Damn! I'm not falling for that again!" Blaine said, as Nathan dodged Bianca's thrusts. "Hey, I think I've got something new!" Tlaloc, instead of casting Zio, sent forth a great black lightning bolt. Bianca's scream sent a chill down Amara's spine, and she collapsed, unable to take anymore.

"Why...why couldn't I defeat you?!" Bianca, with tears falling from her eyes, stood up, and gasped at the gash on her arm. "I've never lost before. The Holy Cross is the best of the Ornatu Legion! How can you imbeciles be better than us?!"

"Maybe it's destiny for us to win and you to lose!" Serena said, smirking. "So get used to it!"

"I don't think we'll need to. The last of the Holy Cross is the best of us. You won't beat him. As for the Commander…" Bianca looked to the ceiling as she mentioned him. "You could never compare to him. He is the only thing we fear!"

"Who is this Commander anyway?" Amara asked. "You guys keep bringing him up!"

"He is the first member of the Ornatu Legion! Before we came into the scene, he was the only natural Persona user they had. He is a tough leader, but he is the best. I would give my life for him!" Bianca shouted. "Your Personas are nothing compared to his!" Glaring at Blaine, she turned and jumped off the stage, despite her injuries.

"I'm sorry, everyone." Amara said. "I messed up our chance to stop the initiation."

"Perhaps you did. Still, your skill with a Persona is getting good." Aimee said, with a kind but firm voice. "Listen, don't worry about the Commander. Leave him to Kyle and the others."

"What about you?" Nathan said. "Can't Irene do anything other than healing?"

"Well, she has this spell called **Traesto** that'll take us back to the 'marking point'. I chose the base as the marking point. Other than that, most of the fighting is done by the others." Aimee said.

"Won't Aeternus go after you now?" Serena said, worried.

"Relax, they already were looking for me. I just haven't appeared in public for a while. Don't worry about us, the base is still secret. Let's go!" Aimee said.

Irene, with a flash of white light, sent them all back to the base.

_Secret Base_

"I see. So that's what happened." Kyle said, shaking his head. "I suppose we shouldn't have expected perfect results from newbies. You've only had Personas for a few days."

"I got mine yesterday!" Blaine said.

"That's not really something to boast about." Kyle said. "It's regrettable, but we'll have to think of another way to sabotage the initiations later. At least you held your own against Bianca."

"Like I said, I'm really sorry -"

"Hey, do you guys know anything about the Commander?" Blaine asked. "Is he really as strong as they say?"

"We've never met him. Any articles in the news about him don't show his face, and he never shows up in public. Aeternus just say he's the best they have." Kyle said. "I suspect the Holy Cross aren't lying when they boast of his power."

"Yes. He sounds scary. You four aren't ready to take him on yet, so don't even think about it." Aimee said, seriously. "It's really late now. You should go back to your world. Have a good night! And from now on, come in whenever you want. Someone will probably be here, even if all you want to do is train!"

"I'm glad I did my homework already. I just wanna go to bed!" Serena said, yawning.

"Homework, huh? It must be so nice to have only that to worry about." Kyle said, looking away. Aimee said goodbye as the four left via the NDD, eager to get some rest.

_Farawell_

Nathan, Serena and Blaine said goodbye to Amara and left, without saying very much. Amara couldn't decide if they were angry at her for screwing up the mission, or just tired.

"It'll be fine, right?" Amara said to herself, but it was just empty. She had doubts, fears about the future. Not just because of the failed sabotage, but of fighting the Holy Cross again. Would they always be able to defeat them?

As she went to sleep that night, she wondered how things would have gone had she not have entered the other world. She probably would never have spoken to the others, and would have just led a normal life as an artist. But would that be enough? Was this her destiny?

She tried her hardest to answer those questions, but instead of answers, the only thing that came was sleep.


	12. Chapter 12: Mirror Image

**Chapter 12: Mirror Image**

_Real People Offices_

"Oh Karen, you're looking great as ever today!" Colette said, as Karen walked into the office wearing a fetching orange and red outfit.

"Thank you! Oh, Amara, you alright? You look exhausted." Karen said, as Amara yawned. A new week had begun, but the Shadow situation was far from ever. Amara was still invested in her artwork, especially making sure the cover page was perfect. Yet, it was harder to focus.

"Yeah, I'm alright. I had a tiring weekend! Artists never take a break, I guess." Amara said, as she tried to hide her fatigue. Stella, however, had a rather concerned look, but kept to herself.

"Hmm. I know what you mean. My divorce has been taking forever, but by Wednesday it should be done for good." Karen said, pleased. "I have such bad luck with men. Ever since..."

"You alright there, Karen?" asked Lucy.

"I'm fine. I just need to stay single for a while. No rebound relationships this time!" Karen said, determined. "Now come on, let's get working! I'm busy arranging interviews for the next edition."

"Oh that reminds me, Karen, I have to ask you about..." Lucy said, as she and Karen walked towards her office.

"Amara, are you going to tell me what's going on?" Stella asked, without the dramatic flair her voice usually had.

"I can't. No one will understand. You were right, though. Your readings are always right." Amara said. "How long have you had this power?"

"Power? I prefer the term 'gift'. The gift was given to me by the spirits, ten years ago. It took me a long time to control such great abilities, and to this day I am refining them still." Stella said, with pride. "It was not my dream to become this, but it is the best gift I have."

"What was your dream?" Amara asked, curious.

"I wanted to...no, never mind. A dead dream is one that should never be mentioned again. I don't need pointless desires coming back!" Stella said, suddenly serious. "Now then, let me give you a quick reading."

"Oh, okay!" Amara said.

Stella quickly drew a card from her deck, and pulled out The Sun in reverse. "A mirror. A reflection of you. It lurks around, and tonight it shall make itself known." Stella said. "The Sun's shadow shall appear, and encounter it's light."

"Huh?" Amara said, trying to think.

"That's all." Stella said. "Be careful tonight, dear Amara. Please don't let anything terrible happen to you."

"Thanks, but I'm quite good at defending myself." Amara said, shaking Stella's hand. "Hey, let's get lunch together!"

"I'd love to!" Stella said, with a warm smile.

Come lunchtime, and the two women were headed towards the cafeteria. Amara, distracted by discussing pointillism, bumped into a tall man with curly blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Ow! Oh my god, I am so sorry!" Amara said, her face red with embarrassment.

"Please don't worry, it was my fault as well. No harm done...these things happen. I haven't seen you around before. Are you new?" the man said, staring into Amara's eyes.

"That's right. I'm the illustrator for Real People. We'll be releasing our first issue soon, actually." Amara said, giving a thumbs up. Stella nodded. "I'm Amara Furaha, and this is Stella Cleon, our Clairvoyant."

"Oh, I see. I'm a writer for the Motus Delicacy. The city's oldest and greatest guide to food and restaurants. I'm Alastair Clark." Alastair and Amara shook hands. Stella held out her hand, but Alastair ignored her. "I normally wouldn't eat at the cafeteria, but with a tight schedule I don't have time to leave the building to go to Café Roma."

"I've heard about it. Is it nice there?" Amara asked.

"Of course. The best Italian food in the city, and the atmosphere there is magnificent. Naturally, just talking about it doesn't do it justice. If you'd like to truly see how delightful it is, perhaps I could interest you with dinner there tomorrow night." Alastair said, with a sly smile.

"Um...I'm busy tomorrow. Sorry." Amara said. She really didn't want to go, but since she was new, she had to be polite.

"I see. Perhaps that _was _a little bold of me. Excuse me." Alastair, embarrassed, ran off.

"A wise choice. You and him clearly are not meant to be!" Stella said, giggling.

"Maybe, but he had the right idea about Café Roma. I'll go there with someone sometime. Anyway, we have lunch to think about! Hey Stella, you already know the menu?" Amara said.

"Oh yes, they have lots of barbecue chicken pizza today. As well as prawn cocktail sandwiches." Stella said. "Impressed?"

"Of course!" Amara said.

"Don't be. The menu's the same week after week. The lunchlady said so!" Stella said.

She and Amara laughed all the way to the cafeteria, and Amara had felt the happiest at her work since she started.

_Lucille Valley High School_

Serena had just finished her class and was heading to the cafeteria. Since last night, she had been having scary thoughts, that she'd somehow wind up in the other version of the school. However, despite her paranoia, the school was the same as ever, and all the students were just their normal selves.

"Hey, Serena! Wait up!" Kyle said, as he wheeled himself to her. Serena stared for a minute, relieved it was the same kind Kyle she knew so well. He was like a different person. Could they really be the same? The other Kyle didn't have anything in common with the one she liked.

"Oh, hey! I'm free tonight, so you wanna hit the mall again?" Serena asked.

"Sure! I just hope it's not too busy." Kyle said. "Remember when that new game store opened on the same day _Suoer Submarine 3 _came out?"

"Oh god, the queues were huge. I mean, it went out and around the mall. So annoying..." Serena said, shuddering. "It should be okay today, though. Anyway, last night I had a really bad dream."

"Really?" Kyle said. "When you have bad dreams, something terrible happened or you were thinking about Nina again!"

"…This isn't about her." Serena said, serious. The memories of her older sister flickered in her mind, and once they did, there was no holding them back. Her dead sister, the one she could never be like, the one her parents constantly compared her too...she would have been 34 this year. "No, it was something silly this time. It was so weird." Serena began retelling the events of last night, but without any mention of Amara, Nathan or Blaine, and made certain details rather vague.

"Whoa! So a dark samurai tried to kill you for dishonouring your family?" Kyle said, confused. "Is this because of what your parents said in March?"

"No!" Serena shouted. "It's not about that!"

Kyle looked down. Serena's 17th birthday had been a total disaster. Her parents revealed something she wish she had never known, something that completely changed her life, and made her turn her back on her family for good. She barely spoke to her mother and father afterwards.

"But Serena, if it really bothers you, you can still -"

"Kyle, please! I don't even want to think about it!" Serena yelled, her eyes watering. Some students were staring at her. "Look…let's forget about it. Let's just enjoy today, okay?"

"Alright." Kyle said. "I'm sorry."

"No...I am. I shouldn't yell at you, Kyle. You're so sweet to me, even when I'm like this. But stuff like this is just hard to talk about. It's like you and that boy you used to be friends with." Serena said.

"Enough with the sad talk. We have a mall to hang around after school! Let's do our duty as students with too much time on our hands!" Kyle said.

_Solar Ray Mall, 6pm, Pizza Castle_

"I love this place! So much better than the one in Red Gauntlet Alley." Kyle said, munching on a pepperoni pizza. "Besides, there's a really cute girl who works here."

"Cuter than me?" Serena said, half-joking.

"Uh...no! Not at all." Kyle said, blushing. "Oh, it's Kazuya."

"Kazuya?" Serena said, stunned. Sure enough, at another table was Kazuya Miyazaki, but wearing a casual white and orange t-shirt and a yellow headband. Next to him was a pretty girl with her hear in a messy bun, and her face was very familiar. It was Bianca, gazing lovingly into Kazuya's eyes.

"Yeah, this guy called Kazuya Miyazaki. We met online when we were complaining about overpriced DLC. He's a bit older than me, but he's pretty cool." Kyle said, smiling. "I'd say hi, but he's with his girlfriend. Why do you look so panicked?"

"It's nothing. He just reminds me of someone, that's all." Serena said. "I guess I'm still down about the dream. You ever had nightmares?"

"Not since we first met. I guess you're my personal dream catcher." Kyle said.

"Aww, Kyle! That was sweet! Nice chat-up line. I didn't think you had it in you!" Serena said, giggling. "Someone's been working on their Charisma points!"

"Hehe! Well, I had a lot of bad dreams. A lot was on my mind back then, and I felt so alone." Kyle said, looking down at the table. "I told you a little about him. You even mentioned him today, before we left for the mall. His name was Matthew."

"Yeah, you just told me he died not too long before then. I forgot his name. How did you meet him?" Serena said. Kyle continued looking down, as he did when he was sad.

"His name was Matthew. As for how we met, well...it was at the river. He noticed me watching the seagulls, so he got me some binoculars so I could watch them better. Then we just kept hanging out, until..." Kyle trailed off. His eyes were rather tearful as he spoke, and Serena regretted mentioning it.

"Well, don't worry about it. I'm here now." Serena said.

"Thank you, Serena. If I hadn't met you, I'd probably still be moping around." Kyle said. For a second, Serena thought he was blushing, but then she noticed someone come in. It was Blaine, followed by a man she didn't recognise, wearing a bus driver's uniform. "Hey! Blaine!"

"Uh...hi." Blaine said. The atmosphere soon turned tense, as Kyle and the other man gave them probing stares. Serena soon realised her error of judgment, as it looked weird that a man in his thirties knew a schoolgirl without being related to her.

"Serena, how do you know this guy?" Kyle asked, confused. "I mean, he has to be forty-something!"

"More like thirty-nothing! I'm still young, you know." Blaine said, looking at Kyle. He seemed to recognise him, even though the hairstyles between worlds were a lot different. "Well, your friend Serena was in Kanaloa because she was curious, so some punks tried to rob her. I put a stop to them." Blaine said.

"Oh, really?" Kyle said, smiling. "Wow, that was pretty brave of you, mister. When was this? You should have told me you were going _there_!"

"I don't remember seeing her around. Wasn't there another girl who let you use her phone? Amaretto or something?" the other man said.

"You dumbass, it was Amara." Blaine said. "Oh, this is my buddy, Dan Kingsley."

"Don't listen to a word this guy says, _I'm _the smart one here! Wait a second, I saw you guys on the bus this morning."

"Oh, really? I didn't recognise you. Then again, I don't pay much attention to whoever's driving the bus." Serena said, surprised "Still, thanks for getting us to school!"

"No problem. I live to serve. And get drunk! Responsibly." Dan said. "You don't want to do that yet, though. Stay in school, kids!"

"Well then, it's nice to meet you two. I'm Kyle McHale." Kyle shook hands with Blaine and Dan, and all seemed well. "Wait, your surname is Kingsley, right?" Kyle asked, staring at Dan's goatee.

"Yeah. Why?" Dan asked, but he seemed to know where this was going. Blaine looked alarmed, also aware of what Kyle was going to say next.

"I knew someone else called that. His name was Matthew." Kyle said. Dan's face went pale, and Blaine looked away. "Relax, he's probably nothing to do with you. He just told me he had an older brother, and he was from Kanaloa, so...oh..."

"Wait a second." Serena said, as she soon realised what this meant. "This is the same Matthew who died, right?"

"Yeah..." Kyle said, looking worried. "Dan, you're..."

"That's right. His big brother." Dan said.

All his cheer had faded away as he said this, leaving nothing but tension behind. Blaine, looking worried, quickly excused the two of them and sat down at another table.

"So that was Matthew's big brother...I wondered what he was like." Kyle said. "Sorry about that. I guess I killed the mood."

"No, it's alright. I guess we've both got sad stories, huh? At least we're not alone." Serena said, holding Kyle's hand.

_Meanwhile_

"Damn…" Blaine said, staring at Dan. "Um...never mind."

"Don't tell me you were going to say 'cheer up' again..." Dan said, eyes on the empty table.

"Nope, not after last time." Blaine said. "Come on, let's just order something."

"Yeah..." Dan said. Blaine sighed, and thought back.

_So Serena knows Kyle, who knew Matthew. Small world. Damn, why did this have to come up again? _

When Matthew died, the first year afterwards was hell. Just about everything set Dan off, especially birthdays. Those were days he would never experience with Matthew ever again. Dan spent most of his adult life looking after his younger brother, and Blaine had been right by his friend's side the whole time. He had to admit, it felt empty around the house without him.

What could he do to help Dan move on? That question had been on his mind just about every day since Matthew drowned in that river. Kyle must feel the same way, too. Maybe if he and Dan spoke again, then they could start to heal.

"So we're still going out with Roger tonight, yeah?" Dan asked.

"Oh. Yeah." Blaine said. "I could use a few beers after today..."

_Nathan's House, Nova Albion_

Nathan and Priscilla's home looked rather regal and classy on the outside, as most houses in Nova Albion's Sylvia Boulevard did. Not far from the sensational Gaia Theatre, it was just as magnificent on the inside. Both Priscilla and Nathan's parents had a hand in designing the place, and it truly felt like home to both of them.

At the moment, Priscilla was cooking dinner, whilst Nathan was searching for anything he could find on Aeternus. Other than archived news articles about their former successes, Nathan found nothing of interest. All he knew was that at the convention, there was a secret group of employees unveiling a project. Yet he could not find a single piece of information on either of them.

"Nathan, darling, did you hear from Tara? She said she's going to be playing in the orchestra next week, and we're getting free tickets!" Priscilla said, entering the living room.

"Oh, really? Fantastic, I haven't been to the theatre in ages. We should invite her for dinner sometime." Nathan said, smiling.

If he could just focus on his normal life, then he could relax. Today had been a peaceful, boring day, but earlier he could have sworn he saw Richard Eden whilst driving to the Albion offices. Yet, this Richard was just a regular young man, and didn't do anything unusual.

"I'll call her later, then! Now, tonight I'm making French Country Casserole, so - argh!" Priscilla screamed, as she looked at the living room window.

Staring at the two of them was…a man with messy short red hair, the same vibrant hue as Nathans. Actually, his face was a mirror image of Nathan's as well, but he had a torn blue jacket, with an entire sleeve missing, exposing the orange tribal tattoos on his right arm and his leather bracer. His skin looked paler, but it was undoubtedly Nathan.

"Huh?!" Nathan jumped up with fright - and at this, the other Nathan ran like the wind. "Who the hell was that?!"

"I don't know, but he looked like you!" Priscilla said, shaken. "I mean…his face…it was exactly like yours! But why?"

"I'm clueless myself." Nathan said. "I'll have to ask my father. I hope that man doesn't go after him."

"Okay. Do you think we should call the police?" Priscilla asked. "I mean, he didn't do anything, but he was kind of scary!"

"Not yet. If he comes back, then we'll do something. Don't worry, Priscilla. I won't let him hurt you." Nathan said, still staring out the window. His other self was long gone.

"Thanks, honey! You're the best. I'll leave you too it." Priscilla went back into the kitchen, still disturbed by the incident. Nathan knew who that other him was, but he could not say a thing yet. Unable to focus on his research, he shut his laptop and decided to contact the others later…

_Outside Motion Publishing_

"Clear skies, just as I foresaw." Stella said, gazing at the sky. "Our city is so wonderful in the summer, isn't it?"

"Yeah!" Amara said, smiling. "Hey, you should meet my friends sometime. The other ones who went through the ordeal. They're pretty cool."

"I'm sure we'll meet sooner or later. Now then, I'm heading home. I trust you'll work just as hard tomorrow. After all, Karen's become rather fond of you." Stella said, smiling.

"You think so? She's nice to everyone." Amara said, shrugging.

"No, I'm serious. I think she sees something of herself in you. Well, I'm not a mind reader - yet." Stella said.

As she left home, Amara decided to take another walk. After all, tonight she wasn't going to the other world, and all she had to worry about was perfecting her designs for the magazine. Today, her life had been like normal, and her job was keeping her busy. It was nice to have something mundane to work on.

Amara headed towards Silvana Bridge, hoping to take some photos. Often, she took her own pictures to use as references for her artwork, and today she planned to do exactly that. Tonight, she would forget Shadows or Personas even existed, and just work on her art as ever.

When she was finally there, she spent quite some time getting the best angle, and waiting for the right moment. The sun was setting, and it looked breathtaking. The sunset was Amara's favourite time of day, seeing so many colours in the sky. The moment between daylight and night was a time of absolute magic, and Amara wanted to capture it in full detail. Holding her phone up, she took numerous pictures, trying to get as much activity as possible - the ships sailing throughout the river, and all the people walking on either side of the bridge.

"Fantastic!" Amara said, as she stared dreamily into the sunset. She would have given anything to make this moment last forever. Just then, she heard lots of footsteps and shouting behind her. Turning around, she gasped at the person running. They gasped too, and both knew why.

It was a girl with the same tan skin as her, with black hair in a large ponytail, with a pink skull hairpin. She had a necklace with the same skull design, and wore purple jeans and a blazer. She had a scar above her right eye that she was trying to cover with her hair, but you could still see it. The eyes were the same blue hue of Amara's...

"You're me?!" both of then shouted. The mirror image Stella spoke of was real. _What's going on? _The other Amara stood there, in stunned silence. "What's going on?"

"How should I know? There's no Shadows here or anything! Everything's perfect here! You got lucky!" the other Amara shouted, and then she immediately ran off.

"Hey! Get back here!" Amara said, giving chase. This was a weird sensation, chasing after herself. However, if she left the other Amara around, all sorts of problems could occur. She had to get back into the other world, and fast.

Finally, they were in Farawell again, in front of the warehouse. "Dammit! It still won't open!" The other Amara, angry, kicked the door repeatedly. "Urgh, you! You should just go back to your sweet life with dear old daddy! Leave me alone!"

"Stop! I've been to your world! I can help you get back!" Amara said, holding the key. "I'm fighting the Shadows too. I know what they're like! Here." The other Amara watched as Amara unlocked the door. "The NDD's upstairs! Now hurry!"

"What is going on? Why are there two different cities?" Other Amara said. "I don't want to be here. Not if you're around! I'm going to kill all the Shadows on my own. With Sekhmet, I won't lose!"

"Sekhmet? But my Persona's Hathor!" Amara said, confused. "Please. I know others with Personas in this world. We can bring down Aeternus together!"

"No, don't bother! You're lucky that you can live in this great city, you know. So be quiet! Don't bother coming back, just stay here out of harm's way!" Other Amara said. Before Amara could stop her, she ran upstairs, and vanished into the NDD.

"Damn. What now?" Amara said, stunned. She had finally met her other self, her mirror image, but she kind of wanted to fight alongside her. Now, she didn't want to know, and Amara didn't know what to do. What if the other Nathan, Serena or Blaine wound up in the city? Scared, she left the warehouse and locked the door, and went home.

_Amara's House_

Watching a re-run of 'Happy Hour', an old 90's sitcom about a bar during World War II, Amara relaxed on her sofa, trying to forget about her encounter. Just then, her phone rang. Thinking it was just her friend from college, Michelle, she answered. However, it was Nathan.

"Oh, Amara, there's something I need to tell you. I saw the other me today. The me from the other world! He was outside my house!" Nathan said. Amara gasped - another Nathan, still wandering around the city. What chaos could they be causing?

"Did anything happen?" Amara asked.

"No, thankfully. It was disturbing, though. Priscilla has no idea what's going on, and no one else seems to have seen him but us." Nathan said. "This is...bizarre, trying to search for myself. You haven't seen him, have you?"

"No, but..." Amara trailed off. Slowly, she told Nathan about meeting the other Amara on the Silvana Bridge.

"I see...so she went back to the other world. Then we may see her the next night we go there. Are you alright?" Nathan asked. "It can't have been easy for you. I suppose it's expected she'd be stressed."

"I'm alright now. Thanks, though. If I see the other Nathan, I'll try and talk to him." Amara said, smiling. "Good night." Hanging up, Amara looked out the window. Everything in her city seemed at peace for now. Yet, she wondered what her other self had been through. Things can't have been easy for her, with all the Shadows swarming the streets night after night for a decade. What would become of their excursions? Only time would tell...


	13. Chapter 13: Who is like God?

**Chapter 13: Who is like God?**

After a somewhat relaxing Monday, the team decided they would go into the other world tonight. She wasn't looking forward to it, so Amara tried to enjoy her work as much as possible. Stella was being quiet and aloof as usual, and she saw Alastair again. She said hello, and he waved back but said nothing. Perhaps she shouldn't have turned him down, but right now, she had a job to do. Later that evening, she met the others outside the warehouse again, and she and Nathan told Serena and Blaine about the other selves.

"Oh fucking hell. Two Nathans running around? Are there enough blue polyester suits to go around?" Blaine said, but no one else was laughing.

"That's not funny, Blaine. None of my suits were ever made from polyester." Nathan said.

"Wow, so maybe my other self is here too! I bet she's some super cool mercenary with rocket launchers!" Serena said. "She could probably beat the Holy Cross with her hands tied behind her back!"

"Or maybe she's about to cause a crisis in this city, too." Nathan said, angrily. "Fortunately, the other Amara left for the other world last night, so we shouldn't have to worry about her for now."

"No, Nathan! What if she's being hunted by the Holy Cross too?" Amara said. "If she gets caught, they'll know we're the same person! They'll figure out there's another world for themselves!"

"Uh, really? You think they're that smart?" Blaine said.

"Amara is right. We can't let the other Amara fall into Aeternus' hands. The Ornatu Legion must not capture her. Anyway, we should go inside. Perhaps we can just train for tonight." Nathan said.

_Secret Base_

"Hey guys!" Serena said, as she took out some pretzels from her bag. "I brought you some snacks!"

"That wasn't necessary, but thank you anyway." Kyle said. They were Kyle's favourite snack, but this Kyle didn't seem as enthusiastic about them. Still, he was the one eating most of them, even as Aimee glared at him.

"I don't know how he can stay so thin, with all he eats!" Aimee said, sighing. "Well, anyway, there's nothing to report from yesterday. At least, nothing Aeternus didn't announce to the public. So I presume the Holy Cross and the Ornatu Legion are still hot on our trail. Nothing we can't handle."

"Are the others still on training? I'm starting to wonder if we'll ever see them." Serena said. "Or are they invisible?" Serena started feeling around, expecting to touch someone in front of her. Amara couldn't help but giggle.

"No, but that would be a useful spell. I'll have to look into that. Anyway, some are training, but Kyle's here as always. Oh, and Seraphina's already at the place I want you to go to." Aimee said.

"Who's Seraphina?" Amara asked.

"Oh, she's...very eccentric. Has a weird way of talking. But she's amazing! Her Persona's got psychic powers, like telepathy." Aimee said, continuing to boast Seraphina's abilities.

"Hey, she sounds like that Stella chick." Blaine said to Amara. "Wait, is Stella even her real name?"

"I have no idea, I just assumed it was. Anyway, what place is it?" Amara asked.

"In Legarte, there's a shopping centre. In 2002 it was just a regular mall with lots of run-down stores, and was failing pretty badly. Yet after Aeternus took over, they turned it into a completely generic general purpose place, for people all over Legarte to get supplies like food, water, medicine. All the entertainment was completely sucked out of the place." Kyle said. On the screen, a drab building appeared. The bland, almost colourless building had a sign that read 'Aeternus Supply Complex'. Kyle was glaring at it, rather intently.

"Wait, isn't that Solar Ray Mall?" Nathan asked, surprised. "Such a dull and dreary place."

"It looks worse than before Roger bought the place." Blaine said. "You know, the guy who bought the place and made it look good again."

"Oh, that's his name? I couldn't remember who it was..." Amara said.

"The mall is great in our world. Me and Kyle are there almost every day after school!" Serena said. "In fact, that's were we met Blaine. He was working at the Korean restaurant."

"What can I say? I have the charm that draws in the crowds!" Blaine said, with another one of his smug smiles.

"It sounds like you have a lot of fun in your world. I wish I could see it." Aimee said, sadly.

"Aimee, focus!" Kyle said, shaking his head.

"Sorry! Kyle, continue!" Aimee said.

"On the third floor, above the cafeteria, is a secret room that the Ornatu Legion guard during the day. During the night, they simply use Shadows as guards. Put it this way, they're more effective than any guard system you could think of." Kyle said. "But even if we defeat the Shadows protecting the secret room, we won't be able to progress without the key. Luckily I replicated it." Kyle proudly unveiled a silver key, which matched the one in the photograph on the screen.

"How did you do that?" Nathan said, impressed. "Don't tell me you're a locksmith!"

"No, I used my Persona. He can do anything with a lump of metal. It's quite wonderful, having such a versatile Persona." Kyle said, full of confidence. "Now then, tonight we go to Legarte's Aeternus Supply Complex. Seraphina's waiting for us."

"Okay, then let's get going!" Serena said. "Aimee, you coming with us?"

"I shouldn't. I need to stay here as back up. Don't worry, once you're down, I can just use Traesto again. Good luck everyone!" Aimee said, as the others went through the NDD.

_Legarte Aeternus Supply Complex_

Without any lights on, the place was almost completely pitch black. Amara could only just make out the floor beneath her feet. Just then, however, two powerful flashlights, that were attached to Kyle's wheelchair, turned on.

"Whoa, Kyle, you modified your own wheelchair too? That's incredible!" Serena said, giving him a pat on the head.

"Don't do that! It looks silly!" Kyle said, embarrassed. "This isn't really that special, I just got two flashlights and put them on my wheelchair. Of course, I also made sure the design looked good too. Hence all the flame patterns."

With Kyle's flashlights, the mall was clear for all to see, and it was empty. There were some stores, but very bland generic ones, with just names that told customers what was there. Without any decorations whatsoever, the place felt dead, with all the grey walls and floors.

Just then, the escalator going down turned on, and a person walked down it. Wearing a beautiful floor-length purple and pink dress, that sparkled in the darkness, With dark onyx head jewellery, a strange small cape covering her arms, and her piercing blue eyes, she had the look of a fairy tale princess. Her turquoise hair, tied in a ponytail, and her purple eyes were incredibly familiar.

"Stella!" Amara said. The others gave her weird looks.

"I beg your pardon? That is not my name! Nor a name destined for me." the woman said. Amara made a mental note not to call her Stella, going by this reaction. "The moniker the fates have determined I must bear is Seraphina."

"Got it. Seraphina." Amara said. This meant one thing; Stella wasn't her real name. So what _was_ it? Amara was so curious, but now wasn't the time for that. The others introduced themselves, and Seraphina bowed.

"It is an honour to make your acquintance this night. A dreary place this has become indeed. It's glorious days have long since passed, and now only misery and shadow fill the vacant halls. Tonight, however, shall be a day the darkness here is unveiled, and we discover a secret beyond the reach of the mundane." Seraphina said, with a strange accent to her voice.

"It's like she's an actress." Nathan said.

"Yeah. Except she hasn't got any botox." Blaine said, staring. "Um, Miss Seraphina, the secret room's on the third floor, yeah?"

"You are correct, Sir Blaine. The secret is something of such importance, they would populate the entire place with their shadowy vanguard!" Seraphina said, pointing to a stray Shadow that had yet to notice them.

"Oh, fucking hell." Serena said.

"What the - why are you talking like that?" Blaine asked. "Leave the potty mouth to me, kid."

"Sorry! I thought it'd be funny!" Serena said, sheepishly. Nathan and Amara sighed, and raised their weapons.

"Do not bother to raise your armaments! I shall dispatch of this unholy slime myself. Oh **Hecate**, release yourself from within me!"

And so her Persona appeared. 'Hecate' was a sorceress, with a long flowing black dress and a white feathered sash. Also, she had pale purple skin, and deep purple eyes that seemed to have stars in them. Her incredibly long raven black hair spread out in many directions. Hecate, raising one hand, blasted the Shadow with a simple blast of force, killing it instantly.

"Wow!" Amara said. "What was that attack?"

"It's called 'Zanma'. The stronger form of Zan. Almighty spells are very useful, as no one can resist them." Kyle said, as if it was obvious. "Of course, no one is weak to it either, but with Hecate's incredible magic aptitude, that doesn't matter."

"Well, Kyle, there's no need to flatter my every move!" Seraphina said, with mock laughter. "Enough with the exposition! We must ascend to the next level of this grim labyrinth!"

"Does Stella talk like that? Because she's freaking **cool**!" Serena said.

"A little bit like that, yeah." Amara said, as she walked on ahead. "Wait, we're going to have to use the elevator for Kyle."

"Thanks, but there's no need. I've made more modifications than you think! Watch." Kyle said, with a smug look. A few rocket-like devices attached to each leg of his wheelchair started firing, and it started floating in the air. In no time at all, Kyle reached the upper floor.

"All right! Go Kyle!" Serena said, cheering. "Maybe he invented rocket launchers for us after all!"

"Rocket launchers already exist. I can't invent something already in existance, can I?" Kyle said. He was trying to act all cool and unflappable, but Amara could see him trying his hardest to contain his laughter. "Now come on, we have secrets to unveil!"

On the second floor, a group of Shadows had noticed the team. They were of the 'Idol' variety, which Seraphina claimed belonged to the Priestess Arcana. Blaine looked rather repulsed by them. They were women sitting on a reversed pyramid, their hands in a meditative pose and their faces covered by red butterfly masks.

"Stand back, everyone. I'll handle this. Come on, **Hephaestus**!"

Emerging from Kyle's body was a young male Persona, with red spiky hair and a blue plasma visor covering his eyes. Brandishing a curved red sword, he had a radiant red cape and matching red vest, shoes and gauntlets. With strange head jewellery that resembled a pair of headphones, he looked like a lead character from a manga series.

"Wow, so this is your Persona! Show us what you've got, Kyle!" Nathan said. Kyle, grinning, called for his Persona to cast 'Mamagnara', which blasted them all with large rocks. They cried out in terrible agony, and they were weakened by the assault. Hephaestus quickly dispatched them with a blindingly fast series of slashes, then vanished.

"Not bad, Kyle. Especially for a kid." Blaine said, clapping. "We've got some catching up to do!"

"Indeed you do." Kyle said. "I've had my Persona for quite a while. Since about six years ago."

"Yes. Six long years ago, Kyle discovered his Persona ability at last. Yet, Aeternus heard rumours about him, so he had to flee. Unfortunately, his mother was killed that fateful day." Seraphina said.

"That's when I found Aimee. Or rather, she found me when I was - um, never mind." Kyle said, embarrassed.

"Sounds like the both of you want revenge..." Serena said. Kyle nodded. "So...it was just you two at the start?"

"Correct, Lady Serena. It would be some time before they encountered me. I had known about my Persona for some time, but I used her great insight to flee from the rogues that chased me. So, when I saw Kyle fighting some Shadows around four years ago, I knew right away that I must grant them my power." Seraphina said. "It was only two years ago that we were able to make our base secret, free from the clutches of the Ornatu Legion."

"You guys must have had it rough, huh?" Amara said. "I'm glad we're part of the team now."

"Me too. I don't want this to last any longer. Let's continue!" Nathan said, with determination.

"That's the spirit, Sir Nathan! Now, with that exposition out of the way, off we go again!" Seraphina said, as they moved on, killing more Shadows.

"What's exposition mean?" Blaine asked.

"I'll tell you later." Amara said.

_Third Floor, Outside Secret Room_

"Whoa. How many steaks do you think we could get out of that guy?" Blaine said. Kyle groaned audibly, and smacked his forehead with his palm. The Shadow in front of them was a lion-like beast, with a jet black coat and completely red eyes. It was a muscle-bound monstrosity, and a heavy ball was chained to it's hind leg. Whilst it was not an agile creature, it was full of strength and energy.

"Oh crap. C'mon, let's do this quickly." Serena said, and everyone called up their Personas.

"This behemoth is called the Vicious Beast. Be on your guard, it will not hesitate to rend us to shreds!" Seraphina shouted. The Vicious Beast struck Amara with it's claws, and not only was it a powerful attack, it seemed to drain more of her energy.

"Oh crap, Poison!" Serena said. "Hold on, I think I can heal it! Posumudi!" Artemis' light healed Amara, and then she hit the beast with a new water spell - 'Heavy Rain'.

"Well done. Let's see how far you four have come along. Don't fear. If you can't beat that thing, just leave it for us!" Kyle said. Angry, the Vicious Beast started to rampage across the room, hitting everyone with it's claws - but Amara noticed it's strength was weaker.

"I don't need assistance Just watch!" Blaine called upon his Shade Jolt attack, but it had absolutely no effect. "What the fuck? It's not working?"

"It cannot be pierced by your lightning. Alas, all is not lost. I will be able to learn how to penetrate it's defences. Please, give me a moment!" Seraphina said, and she closed her eyes, concentrating.

"Take _this_!" Amara swung her sword, and then Hathor appeared to cast her Flare Hail spell. The fire did some damage to the Beast, but not enough to injure it. Still, it had enough power to call upon a powerful Mazionga attack.

"Oww!" Serena cried. "That really hurt! You're gonna pay!"

"Revelations! I have uncovered it's Achilles' Heel!" Seraphina said. "Sir Nathan! Unleash the gusts of Setanta!"

"Got it. Here goes!" Nathan did so, and the Beast growled in pain, falling down. Taking advantage of it's weakness, everyone attacked the Beast repeatedly with their weapons, causing it incredible pain. One more Air Brake was enough to kill it.

"Well done. You didn't need us at all!" Kyle said. "For outsiders, you're not half bad."

"Hell yeah, we're not! We kicked ass!" Blaine said, twirling his gun.

"Yes. We did indeed 'kick some ass'." Nathan said, shuddering. "I can't make myself sound cool saying that."

"Then find something else to say to satisfy your cool requirements." Seraphina said. "Now then, it is time to open the secret room. Whatever it is, we shall learn at once!" The six of them gathered around the door, and with Kyle's special key, they unlocked the heavy door.

"Wow, I can't believe that worked! You know what would be funny? If Aeternus were all "Who the hell unlocked that door?" and no one knew!" Serena said.

"Yeah! If they started fighting amongst themselves, we could get away with more of this stuff." Amara said. "Now hurry up and go inside already!"

_Secret Room_

The room was entirely different from the rest of the mall. Bearing no resemblance to any interior the six of them had seen, the room was entirely black with neon green designs. In the centre of the room, however, was a cryogenic tube, and inside was an entirely bandaged male, with wires attached to his body.

"What in the name of Aramisaki is this?" Kyle asked, moving towards the tube. "I can't even tell if he's alive or not."

"This is messed up. Why is this even here?"

"His heart remains beating. Yet, it feels like his spirit is somewhere else. What takes it's place is nothing less than false shadows." Seraphina said, with a solemn look.

"Wait a second. Does that mean this has something to do with the Ornatu Legion? Why the heck is that here?" Blaine asked. "I mean, why store their experiments in a fucking mall?"

"I cannot say." Seraphina said. "One day, we will discover the answers to your questions, but right now, we must not tamper with that man. One day, I know he shall be saved. With the sacrifice of another."

"Another _what_?" Amara said. "Oh god, I don't even wanna think about it. Aeternus are sick! Let's get out of here!"

"Right!" Seraphina said - but the minute they came outside, someone was waiting for them.

"Alastair Clark." Amara said. It was indeed the same gentleman who tried to invite her to lunch with him. Wearing a long black elegant shirt, with a blue ribbon tie, he was armed with a long sword with a elegant gold hilt.

"Correct. Of course you should know who I am. I'm the leader of the Holy Cross, second only to the Commander!" Alastair said. "And your actions must be stopped! Your criminal activities, if lift unchecked, will simply endanger the civilians of our city. We, the Holy Cross, are the ones who will administer true justice!"

"Hardly, Alastair. Your friends haven't done a very good job so far. If they were serious about capturing us, they'd send the Commander!" Nathan said. Alastair scowled at him.

"Oh, please. You're hardly _that_ important a threat." Alastair said. "Even so, there is something rather peculiar about you four. I can't say what it is, but once I have you in capitivity, we'll find out."

"Yeah, you might just do that, pal. Problem is, you're going to have a wait a _long_ time!" Blaine said, as he took out his gun. "So c'mon, hurry up and summon your angel! We beat the others, we can take you!"

"...You're not like him at all!" Alastair said. _Like who? _"Very well, I will do as you wish! Oh, glorious archangel **Michael**, come forth! In the name of justice!"

Bursting out of Alastair's body was a glorious angel, with blonde hair and a face that resembled Alastair's. Wearing a long elegant white cape with gold designs at the ends, he gallantly held aloft his exquisite sword, complete with long blue tassels. With a blue tabard and armoured boots, his angel form was complete with golden gauntlets with wing designs on them.

"Seraphina! What's he weak too?" Amara asked, sword at the ready.

"Allow my insight the moment of truth. Patience." Seraphina said.

"Ha! I am the best of the Holy Cross! I will not be beaten so easily. Sacred Feathers!" Alastair called out. A flurry of holy sharp feathers attacked everyone, causing some damage.

"Go to hell!" Blaine shouted, as Tlaloc pounded Alastair with his hammer.

"That's where I want _you_ to go! Behold! The almighty power of justice!" Michael, with a triumphant twirl in the air, struck everyone with the spell 'Megido'.

"Argh! That was sore..." Nathan said. "Seraphina, hurry!" He cast another Air Brake spell, but it didn't seem to slow Alastair down.

"This is most unfortunate! Alastair lacks a weakness. You must outmatch his strength! You will win, I'm sure of that!" Seraphina said.

"The weak grow overconfident when they band together, I see. Well, allow me to disabuse you of your arrogance!" Alastair and Amara clashed swords, both of them giving every swing their full strength. However, Michael's Megido spells were brutal, and Artemis' Media wasn't enough to cover the damage.

"I didn't think he'd be so tough..." Serena said, after taking another beating. "This is divine retribution, right? Then let's fight harder!"

"Don't be so sure of yourself! I'm not going to go down like the others! Justice will prevail!" Alastair said, attacking Blaine with his sword. "Mahama!"

"**No**!" Seraphina cried. "May this barrier reflect all peril that tries to break it! Makarakarn!" A magical barrier covered everyone, just as the holy cards appeared. Instantly, the Mahama spell was sent back to Alastair, yet had no effect on him at all.

"You're a clever little witch. If you hadn't done that, this battle would have been over by now." Alastair said. This time, Michael hit Amara with Zanma, which was less severe than Megido. Still, Alastair definitely was the best of the Holy Cross. Neither of the others had caused them this much trouble.

Serena continued casting Media over and over again, but it was hard for her to keep up with Alastair's damaging Almighty attacks. Neither fire, ice, water or lightning was enough to weaken Alastair, and he wasn't ready to give up yet. Another Sacred Feathers knocked Nathan to the ground, and Amara knew she couldn't hold on for much longer. Serena and Blaine were exhausted, too.

"Goddammit! Die already!" Blaine shouted as he sent another Zio spell. Alastair took the hit, and was getting tired himself, despite his attempts to hide it. He dodged a few hits from Serena's whip, but a Heavy Rain got him.

"Alright, I've had enough of this! Let's finish him off for good!" Amara shouted. Hathor, Setanta, Artemis and Tlaloc raised their weapons high, and they were charged with great power. Alastair gasped, and had Michael guard. Alas, the severe force of the weapons was enough to break Michael's stance, and Alastair was struck with a great slash, then a powerful thrust, then a piercing arrow, and finally a hammer pound.

"Damn you to hell!" Alastair said. "As long as you fight against us, you are no better than demons!" Alastair's eyes were filled with absolute rage, and even though he was bleeding all over, he still had the energy to cast another Megido spell.

"Owwie... I can't take much more!" Serena said, stumbling. "Guys, take him down!" Alastair charged at her, but before he could attack her, Amara slashed with her sword.

"Agi!" Another blast of fire sent Alastair to the floor, dropping his sword. Michael disappeared, and everyone struggled to catch their breath.

"You did it! I wasn't sure if we'd need to help." Kyle said, relieved. "Awesome!"

"Your victory was assured! The Holy Cross is nothing before you!" Seraphina said, proud.

"What the _hell_?" Alastair said, punching the ground in frustration. "Neither one of us could best you, not even me! How can the agents of justice lose this way?"

"The Holy Cross is supposed to be an elite unit. Of course that's just what Aeternus say to comfort the poor folks of this city." Kyle said. "Reality is, they just need to make them feel like something's being done. But you're not good enough to end the Shadows!"

"How _dare_ you! You ungrateful brat, the Holy Cross has saved countless souls since the day the Commander recruited us! We may not compare to him, but our powers are true!" Alastair yelled, painfully standing up. Amara felt a chill down her spine, as she stared at his desperate expression.

"Give up. You're not good enough to beat us. We'll beat you as many times as it takes, and we'll never join you!" Amara said.

"But if you did, you could be heroes like us! The Ornatu Legion would grow even stronger, and one day we could finally end this nightmare! The Shadows the **Ater Vox **couldn't hold back!" Alistair moved backwards, still bleeding.

"Ater Vox? I assume that's what the six leaders of Aeternus call themselves." Nathan said. "Who exactly are they?"

"Hahaha...They have hardly ever spoken directly to us. They are counting on Persona users like us, and they have established the Ornatu Legion in the name of Justice!" Alastair said. "You will never bring Justice through these confrontations! Only dire suffering!" With this, Alastair ran off as fast as he could, leaving behind the fallen Ornatu Legion members.

"Another Holy Cross member done with." Blaine said. "They're all morons!"

"Perhaps, but we've only fought them one at a time so far. If we were to take them all on at once, we could be in for a tough battle." Nathan said.

"I'll say. It'd be like trying to take _us_ down. A real challenge!" Serena said. "Anyway, what do we do about this secret room?

"We'll keep looking into it. But as for today, you did a great job. I'm proud to have you in our team!" Kyle said. He was smiling, which for this Kyle, was rare. "Come back soon, okay?"

"I already foresee your return. As trying as the fight is, please don't resent coming here. We may be faced with endless Shadows, but remember this: Shadow only exists if there is still light. The light of our Personas will one day pierce all the Shadows, and you four shall guide us to daybreak!" Seraphina said.

"You know, she _really_ should go into the theatre after all this is done." Serena said. With nothing else to do at the mall, they returned to the base.

_Secret Base_

"Alright! You guys are fantastic. I knew asking you to help would be a good idea!" Aimee said. "Even if we're a bit more experienced than you guys, you'll catch up. And we'll help you, too!"

"Thanks, guys. So that weird body in the tube... Is it some Ornatu Legion experiment gone wrong?" Amara asked.

"As I said, it is hard to say." Seraphina said. She seemed disappointed. "The spirits are vague on this one."

"Well, I'll start by checking the list of registered Ornatu Legion members. Perhaps one of them has been reported missing." Kyle said, immediately typing on his computer.

Tired, Amara and the others returned home, eager to get some well-earned rest. Now that they had faced the fourth of the Holy Cross, what else lay in store?


	14. Chapter 14: Finding Oneself

**Chapter 14: Finding Oneself**

"So it was the whole convicted murderer on the run thing that made me divorce Ken, not the affair." Karen was saying, much to everyone's shock.

"Karen, where _did _you find these guys?" Lucy asked.

Amara tried to focus on the rather outlandish tales Karen was telling, but her mind wandered back to Aeternus, the Ornatu Legion, and the Ater Vox. Would they ever get closer to ending their reign? And what of the other Amara?

"Hey, Stella, have you ever heard of anyone called Seraphina?" Amara asked, after Karen returned to her office. Stella blinked, and shook her head. "Oh. I met someone called Seraphina last night, and she reminded me of you."

"I see. I was home last night, trying to hone my abilities. Which is difficult with all those motorcycles around. So if you're implying I disguised myself, you're mistaken." Stella said. "Hold on..."

"What is it?" Amara said. "Come on, tell me!"

"Wait a moment. I can't tell you everything. You're still not ready to tell me about the 'other world', are you?" Stella said, glaring.

"Well, I'm...sorry." Amara said. "I suppose I have to tell you. But you might not believe any of it-"

"I'm a psychic, remember? I'm sure anything you say is the truth. I know that much." Stella said, smugly. "Not now, of course. Lucy's staring at us again. How about after work? I'll treat you to a cup of coffee!"

"Okay then! It's a date! A platonic one, of course!" Amara said, and she got back to work. Finally, she would be telling Stella about the other world. Why didn't she do so earlier? If Stella was to become her ally, she needed to be honest with her. She might get to learn more about Stella too. After all, the rest of her colleagues were just normal people with their own idiosyncrasies, but Stella was a closed book. And Amara wanted to be the first to open the pages.

_Cocoa Harbour, Saragel_

"Is there nothing more delightful than coffee by the beach?" Stella said, as the sun was setting. "A fitting end to the daylight, and the perfect say to say 'hello' to the dusk."

"It _is_ nice here!" Amara said, sipping on her coffee.

Cocoa Harbour was a popular establishment on Saragel beach, and a common hangout for young creative people like Amara. With the fantastic view of the ocean, it was a great place for inspiration. In fact, on the wall above the kitchens were portraits of famous authors, musicians, etc who had worked on their talent here. Amara had a fantasy of her face being there one day…

"So tell me what happened, last Thursday night. After all, I was surprised by my reading. It didn't feel like it was me giving it - more like something else was telling me to do it." Stella said.

"Okay. Listen closely." Amara said. For everyone else, they just looked like two girls having a talk about boys, money, etc, but for them, the world seemed to stop. Amara recounted everything so far, such as finding Nathan, Serena and later Blaine in the other world, the existence of an alternate reality connected by strange dimension crossing doorways, the Holy Cross, and Aeternus.

"That...was quite a tale." Stella said. "Anyone else would dismiss it as idle daydreaming, but I want to believe you."

"Well, do you?" Amara said, taking another sip.

"I'm not sure how I feel. To be honest, I was hoping it would all be metaphorical and symbolic. Yet, it wasn't. And now you and the others are involved in a quest to save the other city from chaos." Stella said, looking towards the sea. "Perhaps that cloaked man interfered with my ability, somehow."

"Really? You think so?" Amara said, amazed. "I just thought he was a dude, with no idea of personal space!"

"He isn't a normal man. If someone did influence my reading, it was probably him." Stella said, in deep contemplation. "What bothers me is that fact he hasn't appeared since Thursday. If we could find him, we could ask a lot of questions. He knew your names, too."

"Yeah. I know my dad's company is famous, but most people don't really know his name or face. He prefers it that way, since we wouldn't get so much attention." Amara said. "So why us?"

"Perhaps it's fate." Stella said. "Annoying, isn't it? 'Fate' could be the answer to any question. Yet, there's a possibility the cloaked man has some strange insight like myself. Perhaps the reading was a warning, to prepare yourself."

"Maybe, but it didn't really help." Amara said. "We don't need him. We can get by just fine without him! Whatever we run into, we'll be okay! We've got Personas! And the Holy Cross suck compared to us!"

"That's the spirit! Don't let your guard down yet, though. The Ater Vox will be far more dangerous than the entire Holy Cross combined. Not to mention this Commander they keep harping on about." Stella said. "Well, I'm glad you told me all of this. Perhaps this is what my power is meant to be used for. So don't worry, Amara. I'm going to use my gift for you from now on!"

"Great! Stella, you're my guardian angel!" Amara said, giggling. "Now enough of that! Let's finish this coffee and go for that walk!"

"Sounds like heaven!" Stella said, smiling. "It's been a while since I've been to Saragel."

_Saragel Promenade_

Saragel was one of the two districts of the city that faced the sea, and in comparison to Kanaloa, it was the most appealing. With cleaner beaches, amazing clubs and bars by the sea, and a harbour bustling with life, it was the most popular place of the city for young adults to chill out. Amara loved it here, but she hadn't been since she broke up with her last boyfriend.

"We're lucky to live in such a beautiful city, aren't we?" Stella said, gazing at the sandcastle tournament that was taking place. The castles were almost life-size, and just perfect. Not a single detail was left out, even sand people on the balconies wishing upon the stars. "Even if I do live in Kanaloa, I wouldn't go anywhere else."

"Yeah. I want to go back to Egypt someday, though. I want to see the place I was born." Amara said. "At least, with new eyes. As an adult, not a little girl."

"That sounds like a great idea. I'd love to see it myself, but there are quite a lot of places I'd love to visit. Even so, I'd always come back here." Stella said. The two of them walked in silence, staring at the stars in the sky. The night was still young, so the two of them just kept on walking.

"Sorry, Amara, I have to get going. I have something else I need to take care of. Goodbye!" Stella said, and she waved goodbye as she headed towards the main road.

Amara stopped for a minute, staring at the beach. Apart from a rather handsome young man fishing, there was nothing happening. Just a silent, quiet night in Saragel. Amara just realised - the other New Motus City couldn't access the sea anymore. The beach must have become an absolute eyesore, nothing like the one she was looking at this moment. "How awful..." Amara thought to herself.

Gazing at the water again, her eyes kept wandering to the young fisherman. He was even more handsome than she first thought. His bright blue hair, and his matching blue eyes...they were so enticing. He noticed her, and just smiled. For a second, she felt like going down to talk to him. It seemed almost natural, like they were meant to meet.

_Wait, what am I doing? I don't even know that guy!_

Shaking her head, she stood up and walked onward. She decided she would stop when she reached the boundary between Kanaloa and Saragel.

Walking slowly, she absent-mindedly took out the key to the warehouse. Tonight, she wouldn't be going to the other city, but enjoying herself in this one. Yet soon, she'd be back in there, fighting Shadows alongside the others. Hopefully Serena, Nathan and Blaine were having a good evening.

Just then, someone snatched the key from here and ran away at insane speed.

"_Hey_!" Amara shouted. "Get back here now!"

Giving chase, Amara ran faster than she thought possible, just so she could get that key back. Eventually, after what felt like hours, they wound up outside the warehouse in Farawell.

"Stop, dammit!" Amara shouted. The man finally stopped, as he unlocked the door, and hurled the keys back to her. She only got a glimpse of his face before he run upstairs, but it was Nathan. In very rough and tattered clothes, with a different hairstyle, but it was definitely him.

"Dammit! What the hell is going on?" Amara said. Without thinking, she ran upstairs herself, and gasped. The NDD was set to the Farawell Shadow Development Centre, not the secret base. If the other Nathan ended up fighting Shadows, what would happen? Could he summon a Persona like Setanta? Amara quickly sent texts to the others explaining what happened, and jumped through the NDD.

_Secret Base_

"Oh hi - huh? Just Amara?" Kyle said. Aimee walked in the room just as Amara emerged, and Seraphina stood up, alarmed. "Where's Serena?"

"Lady Amara! I sensed something emerge in this world. Or rather, return to it." she said.

"I know. It's Nathan from his world. He got into our world, somehow, and now he's back!" Amara said, panicking. "I asked the others to come, but…damn! I can't get a signal in here. I need to find him, and fast!"

"Why?" Kyle said. "Wait, Nathan is the son of the Albion Inc President in your world, yes? Then, your Nathan won't know. But in this world, the CEO died in an 'accident', and Aeternus took over Albion. On the surface, Albion still produces electronics, but in reality, they lent their technological expertise to creating advanced Shadow machinery."

"Oh god. So could Albion have been involved with Aeternus' experiments ten years ago too?" Amara asked. "This is bad. If the other Nathan does something crazy-"

"Be calm, Lady Amara. I've already figured out where he is. The red haired warrior! He has returned to his home district. Be warned, those who wield monsters of falsehood may be nearby. Be very careful! And please, bring him here!" Seraphina said.

"Thanks. Okay, hurry and set the NDD to Nova Albion! I have to protect him!" Amara shouted. Hesitating, Kyle put the code in, and Amara jumped through.

_Nova Albion, outside Albion Incorporated_

Even in this city, the Albion Incorporated building couldn't be missed. It was still a behemoth of a building, with it's gigantic red sign and countless floors with glass windows. Many had compared the offices to a fairy tale like tower. Amara wound up just across the road from the famous building, but luckily for her, no one else was around. The NDD itself was inside an old coffee shop, that was closed for the day.

"Nathan?" Amara called out. No response. "Nathan! Please, come here! I have to protect you!"

Silence. Every second of silence made Amara more and more worried, and so she decided to run up to the entrance, but it was locked. "Damn! What the hell am I going to do now?"

Just then, she heard voices. Worried it was the Ornatu Legion, she quickly found a wall to hide behind. Soon, she saw the three boys the team had fought on Saturday.

"It's no good, I can't find them anywhere." the dreadlocked boy said. "I guess we won't be getting that promotion anytime soon."

"Man! Even if we did find them, there's no way we'd win. After all, the Holy Cross failed…" the blue haired boy said.

"Yeah. I heard from Alastair that the Commander's furious. _Again_." the red haired boy said.

"And I thought I heard them talking about how they were already searching for a woman named Amara Furaha before now. You know, the daughter of the oil guy who was killed a few years back?" the dreadlocked boy said. The three of them walked off, and Amara stood there in shocked silence.

"Dad's…dead?" Amara couldn't believe what she just heard. Was it the Shadows? Or had Aeternus come after him? "No…I can't let it get to me. My dad's still alive! The other me's dad isn't. Oh god!" No matter how hard she tried to reassure herself, she felt like her heart was going to break.

When she was sure the Ornatu Legion members were out of sight, she quickly ran off, still looking for Nathan. Finally, she saw him - outside a large posh house. Perhaps it was the same house Nathan lived in, but Amara couldn't be sure. He had a staff weapon similar to the Nathan she knew, but she couldn't tell if he had a Persona yet.

"Nathan Albion? I'm glad I found you. My name is Amara Furaha!" Amara said. Nathan looked at her, surprised. "I mean, I'm Amara from the other world. But I still have a Persona here! So please, whatever it is you're doing, don't go off on your own -"

"I appreciate your concern. There's no need for that, however. I wield a Persona myself." Other Nathan said, seriously. "Also, I'm sorry I stole the key. I just needed to get back here, and I knew that you and the others had the key to get inside."

"Well, you could have just asked!" Amara said, pouting. "Hey, I heard from the Ornatu Legion that my dad here died years ago. Rudo Furaha? You know, oil tycoon?"

Nathan looked down, unsure what to say. "I suppose I should be honest with you. Yes, he died six years ago. I met the other you several times, but we aren't exactly friends. From what the Amara in this world told me, the Commander deceived him and killed him."

"No!" Amara shouted. So the Commander the Holy Cross feared so much had murdered her father…and she didn't even know why. Was it her father's money? Did they get what they wanted from him, and then murder him when he was no longer useful? She still wanted to cry, even if her father remained alive in her own world. Yet, Amara was still Amara in this world. They were the same, even if one of them didn't want to admit it.

"I'm sorry about this, but I have to go now. I have things of my own I need to care of. I'm also looking for revenge against the Commander, and the Ornatu Legion itself." Nathan said, and he started to walk off. Amara didn't respond. She eventually fell to her knees, sobbing. Grieving for her beloved father, she couldn't stop the sadness, the heartbreak. This pain...her other self had six years to come to terms with this. For her, it was a fresh wound that just wouldn't heal.

"Amara!" someone cried behind her. It was Serena, looking concerned. "Hey…what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Serena, I..." Amara said, as the tears finally stopped. "It's about my father."

"Your dad? What about him?" Serena asked, but her eyes widened. It seemed she knew what Amara meant. "Oh..."

"I heard that he was killed by the Commander. Six years ago. I can't believe it! Six years ago, everything was fine for me and dad!" Amara said.

"Well, that was our world. In here, everything's different, and not for the better." Serena said, looking around. "You sure you're going to be okay?"

"I'll be alright in a minute. Thanks..." Amara said. Serena handed her a hankerchief, and Amara wiped away her tears. "You didn't have to do that!"

"I wanted to! Especially since your mascara was running!" Serena said. "For you, it's not a good look!"

"Well, it never _is._ So, where are Nathan and Blaine?" Amara asked.

"Still coming. I just got here first. Kyle and the others were really worried! So did you see Other Nathan?" Serena asked.

"Yeah, I just saw him. He looks so different from Nathan! His clothes are all torn, and he even has a tattoo. Oh, and he said something about revenge!" Amara said.

"Revenge? Then, Aeternus _did_ kill his dad?" Serena said. "Damn, there's no time to waste. Let's go and look for him! Even if he has a Persona, it's dangerous to fight alone!"

The two girls ran off, looking all over. Finally, they wound up in Nova Albion's Augustus Square. It was known for it's festivals during the month of August, celebrating the culture and class of the town. Sitting there in a corner was the other Amara.

"Hey, it's her!" Serena said. "She really does look just like you!"

"I know. I don't think she's noticed us yet. Should we go over?" Amara said.

"Sure, but be careful!" Serena said.

Hesitating, the two girls decided to walk over - but before they could, someone else suddenly appeared. Alastair Clark, again! He tried to grab the other Amara from behind, and she screamed, struggling to break free. She gasped when she saw her other self and Serena, and Alastair was caught off guard as well.

"Let her go! Hathor!" Amara yelled, and with incredible force, Hathor unleashed a searing Agi spell that hit Alastair, and he dropped the other Amara to the ground.

"You again! You - wait, what is going on? Why are there _two_ of you?!" Alastair yelled. "I was wondering why you didn't have a scar! So that explains it."

"You're mistaken! I'm...um...her twin sister!" Amara said, panicking. "Right?"

"Uh, no." Other Amara said, coldly.

"Cute. But we've been on to you for some time now. Not only are there two Amaras but there's another Nathan too! The son of the Albion company. He's been missing for so long now, Aeternus assumed he had died!" Alastair said.

"Hey, that's stupid! How can there be two of one person at once?" Serena asked.

"I don't know, do I? We'll have to drag that answer right out of you!" Alastair said, with a condescending expression. "And you, Serena Agnethe, are supposed to be dead!"

"What?!" Serena gasped. "But -"

"As for that Blaine fellow, well...you'll find that out later! Now then, I'm not going to be able to win against you three. So bye for now!" Alastair quickly ran away, and the Other Amara stood up, disgusted to see her other self.

"You just couldn't stay away, could you?!" she said. "I could have handled him on my own! And to think **she's** your friend!" Serena stared, befuddled.

"But he said I was dead in this world!" Serena said. "How do you know me?"

"Dead? That's a lie! I saw her with the Commander! Now go away! Go home! This is for me to deal with!" Other Amara said.

"No it isn't." Amara said. "If your dad died in this world, that makes it my dad who's dead as well. I won't just like his murderer roam free. We can fight the Commander together! You, me and the others! The rebel team -"

"Shut! Up!" Other Amara wailed. "You don't know anything! He's not YOUR dad! He's not the one who got shot twenty times in the back!" Amara recoiled in horror. An image of her dad's corpse came into her head, and refused to leave no matter how hard she tried to push it away.

"Amara - uh, other Amara - please stop this! We can help you!" Serena said, patiently. "Whatever the Serena here did, it's nothing to do with me! Please, we really can help!"

"No you can't! Stop it! Come forth, Sekhmet!" Other Amara unleashed, with a blue explosion of energy, a Persona that was like another Hathor. Yet, she had a red dress and black metal boots and gloves, and wielded a black sword instead of a staff. With what looked like a black coat hanging on her shoulders, she looked much more vicious than Hathor.

"Whoa!" Amara cried out. There was an incredible surge of power in her body. It was just like when she first summoned her Persona. Hathor appeared without even being called for, and pointed at her alter-ego.

**My darker self, there is no need to face me in combat this way. Allow me to show you the path of the sun once more, and regain your lost joy!**

Sekhmet simply shrugged, unmoved. Other Amara was fuming, outraged by the sight of a Persona that was just like her own.

**My lighter self, you are too naïve to understand. The path of sadness I have travelled, no one can possibly join me. Not even you!**

"What is this power?!" Amara screamed. Hathor seemed to almost double in strength when facing Sekhmet. The other Amara seemed to be experiencing the same thing, and scowled.

"Shut up! If you won't go away back to your own world, I'll make you!" The other Amara was furious, and Amara's attempts at reason only made things worse. "Come on, Magma Cross!" Sekhmet slashed Amara twice, in a cross formation, with her blade infused with flames. Oddly, it hurt quite a bit, despite Hathor's fire resistance.

"Damn...I'm not going to give up on this world! Or you! Serena, go find Nathan and Blaine! I'll handle this!" Amara said.

"What? But what if -"

"I'll be alright! Just go!" Amara said. Serena nodded, and ran away. "Now come on! Take this!" Hathor changed her staff into a sword, and performed a strong fiery slash. "Now…Rakukaja!" Amara discovered a new spell - it would improve her resilience to attacks.

"What?! You too?!" Other Amara shouted, astonished. "Fine! Anything you can do, I can do better!" She cast the same spell on herself, and the two girls soon started clashing swords. No matter how hard each of them swung, they were unable to land a single hit on the other.

"I guess we're evenly matched..." Amara said, panting for air.

"No we're not!" Other Amara said. "Agilao!" A powerful fire spell that outclassed Agi hit Amara, and the pain was searing. Amara saw her alter ego laughing, and felt a flash of indignation in her.

"That's it! Now I'm going all out! Hathor, Agilao NOW!" Hathor soon cast the same spell on Other Amara, and it dealt even more damage. Amara soon realised - Hathor was the more magical of the two. Sekhmet, on the other hand, was more adept with a sword. The two girls leered at each other, and soon resumed slashing at each other, neither one of them letting down their guard.

_Outside Albion Inc_

Serena arrived at the coffee shop, and as soon as she saw Nathan and Blaine, she ran over. She must have looked rather panicked, from Nathan and Blaine's reactions.

"Serena? What's going on? Is Amara alright?" Nathan asked.

"Well, no! She's fighting the other Amara right now!" Serena said, distressed. "She told me to get you guys. If she's not careful, she could be in real trouble! We have to save her!"

"Easy, Serena. We're gonna help her soon, okay?" Blaine said, calmly. "We'll find the other Nathan and find out what his story is."

"We're lucky both the other me and Amara were desperate to return here." Nathan said, relieved. "But if they've both got Personas, we should get them to join us."

"Okay, let's go." Serena said. "To the square!"

_Augustus Square_

The fight showed no signs of ending. Despite all the fire magic and sword attacks, no Amara was ready to give in. Amara couldn't believe that it would be so hard to take herself down...and the other Amara seemed to think the same.

"Here's a new toy for you to play with!" Other Amara said. Sekhmet, raising her sword, cut Amara repeatedly, inflicting a nasty poison.

"Ugh... Dammit, I don't have anything like that. Or do I?" Amara asked herself. To her surprise, she managed to make Hathor use the same Acid Steel attack, which seemed to have the same results.

"What the hell?!" Other Amara screamed. "Every attack I can do, you can do as well!"

"Well duh! We _are_ the same person. That's why we shouldn't be fighting like this. Please, join us. Don't think you can do this on your own!" Amara begged, but Other Amara shook her head in defiance.

"Damn, I've had enough of you! Quit telling me what to do!" Other Amara said, tears running down her face. "Now take - whoa!"

Amara turned around, and gasped at the monstrosity behind her. A grotesque Shadow, that was a dark horse-like beast with a skeletal witch figure riding on top of it. With a white mask for her face, the witch started ranting in a bizarre voice.

"Damn, I can't fight this on my own." Amara said. "C'mon, help me!"

"Huh? But I..." Other Amara said, still shaking.

"We'll finish our battle later! Let's take care of this first. We've got a witch hunt to do!" Both Amaras, holding their swords, got ready to attack. Whatever this freak of a Shadow was called, it would not leave the square intact.


	15. Chapter 15: Sunset of Blood

**Chapter 15: Sunset of Blood**

_Augustus Square_

Amara had seen a bizarre variety of Shadows so far. Even so, the monstrosity that stood before her was an ugly and terrifying creature. The horse could have come straight out of hell, and so could the malevolent sorceress riding it. The horse didn't seem to have a mask, which meant the sorceress and the witch were the same monster. Simply staring at it made Amara felt queasy.

"Agilao!" Amara unleashed another fire attack, and the Shadow took the hit, with a lot of pain.

"My turn! Agilao!" Other Amara used the same move, and this caused the Shadow to go berserk, and standing on it's hind legs, it started wildly swinging it's front legs at the two of them, at an impressive pace. Finally, it turned around, and kicked Amara with it's back leg.

"Oof! I wish Serena would hurry up!" Amara said, slashing the insidious creature before her with her blade.

"Me too! This thing's tough." Other Amara said, as she used her Acid Steel move. "C'mon, you're the magic one here! You cast your fire spells and I'll use Sekhmet's sword. Okay, um, me?"

"Sure...me." Amara said, grinning. Staring at the Shadow before her, she sent forth another Agilao spell. The Shadow, in it's fury, cast a strange lightning attack that went all over the area, breaking a few of the street lights. A couple of screams were heard, probably from people in the buildings nearby. Amara tried her best to dodge the myriad of bolts, but got hit by quite a few. Other Amara got away with just one hit, and struck the monster with her sword.

"C'mon, shake it off, wimp!" she shouted, as her alter ego stood up.

"Quiet, you! Burn to ashes!" Amara hollered, as she hit the Sorceress with yet another Agilao. The sorceress, irritated, raised her arms in a rather sensual fashion, which considering her skeletal appearance was a nightmarish sight to behold. Then, a powerful aura of magic energy surrounded her, flowing into her body.

"That doesn't look good. Try not to die!" Other Amara dashed, and used Sekhmet to slash repeatedly, yet the Sorceress' spell was not stopped. An incredible crystal of ice appeared from the ground, trapping Other Amara, and with a massive shockwave, exploded, knocking her unconscious.

"Oh no..." Amara said. "What now?" Knowing she couldn't just leave Other Amara at the mercy of the Shadow, she had to keep attacking until help arrived. Casting yet another Agilao, she was starting to feel weary. If she was hit by that ice spell, she'd be finished.

_Aeternus Headquarters, Holy Cross Room_

"So you failed _again_?" Richard asked, as Alastair sat down. "You know how angry the Commander was yesterday! If this keeps up, we might get fired!"

"I wouldn't worry about that. After all, we're the only natural Persona users Aeternus has. Well, other than him." Kazuya said. "Besides, if we did get fired, who would they replace us with?"

"I..." Bianca said, nervously. "Let me deal with him. He's never raised his hand to me so far. Then again, that may be because I'm a woman."

"So what? He barely speaks to you!" Kazuya said. "Anyway, what happened, Alastair? How come you failed again?"

"I saw them! _Two_ Amaras! In the one place!" Alastair said, confused. "They're the same! Only difference is, the one we've been fighting the last few days didn't have a scar!"

"Really?" Bianca asked. "Then, what about that Nathan Albion fellow?"

"I believe there's two Nathans as well. Not only that, the girl that was killed two years ago! Serena Agnethe!" Alastair said. "You know, _her _sister!"

"You're talking about Nina, right? She's quite a fox!" Richard said, dreamily. "Uh…ignore that. But yeah, this is totally weird. Are we going to tell the Commander?"

"No. There's a very good reason we can't tell him, and you all know why. Except Kazuya." Alastair said.

"Well, I haven't seen this Blaine person yet, but from what you have all told me, he's...the same as the Commander." Kazuya said. "The Blaine we've been fighting has the same Persona, too! Tlaloc! If the Commander knew, then it would be chaos. Until we can find out what's going on, this is strictly between the four of us."

"Yeah. The Commander's scary enough when he's in a normal mood. If he knew there was another guy that looked just like him running around, he'd go bananas That's why we're only looking for the other three for now. Right?" Richard said.

"The Commander's coming here later. Alastair, get some rest. We'll just say you went on a training exercise and bit off more than you could chew." Bianca said, and as Alastair went into his bedroom, Bianca looked at the windowsill, where her red rose was in a pink vase. "Why…why won't they join us?"

_Augustus Square_

"Dammit!" Amara cried. The Sorceress had somehow put up a barrier that completely nullified her fire attacks. Trying to make do with Hathor's sword skills, she wasn't faring very well. The Sorceress showed no signs of fatigue, which made Amara panic. Just then, the Sorceress charged up again. "Oh god, no!"

Just then, she felt someone shove her aside, and she fell to her knees. However, the mighty ice spell didn't get her…but did get the red haired man next to her. "Nathan?" It was Nathan, alright, but not the Nathan she knew. Yet, just ahead were the others!

"We're not too late, are we?" Serena said, running over to cast Dia - except this time, it changed into a more potent healing spell. Diarama…

"No, you're just in time." Amara said. "Watch out!" The horse part of the Shadow was about to kick Blaine with his legs, but just as it was about to hit him, he jumped back and fired repeatedly.

"This hag's probably alone on Friday night a lot, huh?" Blaine said. The Other Nathan couldn't help but grin, whilst Nathan sighed as he ran over to the Other Amara.

"She's still breathing! We have to kill this thing, and fast!" Nathan said, running back. "Serena, can't you help her?"

"Oh! Right!" Serena summoned Artemis again, and with her Recarm spell, managed to awaken Other Amara.

"Huh? Oh, you did that?" she said, standing up. "That really hurt. Thanks. Where did all of you come from?"

"I've got good back up." Amara said, with a sly smile. The Sorceress howled, and sent more lightning all over the place. Serena got hit multiple times, but she tried to hide her pain and struck the horse part of the Shadow with her whip. With dark blood pouring from it's wounds, it collapsed, and the sorceress was in what looked like extreme agony.

"Come on, Setanta!" Other Nathan shouted. His version of Setanta was much the same as Nathan's, except it had a different outfit, of blue armour adorned with shining jewels and a white long scarf. He struck the Shadow with an Air Brake spell, which seemed to slow it down. Angry, the Shadow's horse part kicked Serena with it's front legs, and neighed demonically.

"No one does that to me and gets away with it! I'll send you to your death, you old hag!" Serena screamed, as everyone - including the Other Nathan and Amara - attacked with their weapons. The Sorceress finally stood up, and looking at Nathan, gave him an evil smile. Nathan started shivering, and try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to raise his weapon.

"What the hell are you doing, man? Don't tell me you're scared now!" Blaine jeered.

"I..." Nathan said, with a fearful tremor in his voice. "What's happening to me?"

The Shadow seemed pleased with the result. With a deep breath, she let out an absolutely ghastly wail, which cause Nathan's fear to escalate, enough to make him faint right then and there.

"Damn, I thought he was supposed to be the brave one!" Amara said. "Serena, hurry and help him! We'll distract her!"

"Okay!" Serena said, and she cast another Recarm spell. Nathan returned to consciousness, no longer afraid. In an violent frenzy, he took his weapon and swung it again and again at the Shadow, then he managed to cast a powerful wind spell - Garula.

"Alright, now we're talking! Try this!" Blaine summoned Tlaloc, and managed to cast the next level of electric spell - Zionga. Everyone seemed to be encouraged by the Shadow's weariness, as it was losing a lot of it's 'blood' and was having trouble staying upright. Serena soon unveiled her new water spell - Aques - and the Shadow was even more damaged, as it was soon standing in a pool of it's own blood.

"Hey you! Let's fight fire with fire! That...sounded cooler in my head." Other Amara said. Amara nodded, and Hathor and Sekhmet joined hands - and an incredible blaze of light struck the Shadow, causing it to burn all over. It was now a pitiful creature, that probably would be begging for death if it could.

"How about we finish this off?" Nathan said to his other self. "Setanta and Setanta together!"

"Sounds fine to me. Come on!" Other Nathan shouted - and both Setantas sent blades of air at the Shadow, resulting in a wild frenzy of wind that cut the weakened Shadow to shreds. Unable to ensure it's survival, it dissipated into nothingness.

"Phew. We managed to beat that thing!" Amara said. "Thanks guys. I couldn't have done it without you!"

"When you sent that message about the other Nathan, we weren't sure if you were just imagining things. But as you can see, you weren't!" Serena said. "When we were heading here, we saw him and he recognised us!"

"It was quite a shock, wasn't it?" Other Nathan said, cheerfully. "Truthfully, I'm not sure what's going on myself. All I've worked out is that the NDD sent me to another dimension where there are no Shadows. Which means Aeternus are the ones responsible for this crisis."

"Yeah. Hey, Nathan - no, not you, the other one - how did you get sent there anyway? Did you just run through an NDD in Farawell?" Other Amara asked.

"No, actually. I saw a woman completely robed in black. At least, I assumed it was a woman from her body shape." Other Nathan said, in contemplation. "She threw a card at me, and it read 'Follow Me'. I decided to see what this was all about. Even if it was a trap."

"What? That's what happened to me!" Other Amara said. "I was so confused, so I went back to my old house and I saw Dad, alive! Everything was normal..." Amara soon realised. The creaky floorboards she heard that night was her other self, sneaking around. How strange it must have been, having to sneak around like a burglar in her own home?

"So it's just like the cloaked dude who sent us into this world." Blaine said, stunned. "Wait, did she only manage to send you two in? What about the other me and Serena?" Other Amara and Other Nathan stared at Blaine for a long time, and there was a rather uncomfortable silence. "What?"

"Well, it's unlikely she could have sent him. I know the other Blaine in this world, too. He's rather powerful." Other Nathan said. "I shouldn't say anymore than that, though."

"Yeah." Other Amara said. "And like I told you, I saw the Other Serena with the Commander a while ago. I don't know where she is now, though."

"Alastair thought I was dead - wait. Crap!" Serena gasped, remembering what he said earlier. "He saw the two Amaras! What do we do know?"

"Don't worry about it. The Holy Cross are probably too confused to do anything." Other Amara said, looking at her counterpart. "But it's probably best we're not seen together. We don't want to cause panic. The people here are easy to scare these days."

"I agree." Other Nathan said. "Despite all that's happened, I have to focus on getting revenge. The Commander mercilessly killed my father, and I won't forgive him!"

"So he _is_ dead, like Kyle said." Nathan said. "This world is a horrid place. What of Priscilla? Tell me she's safe!" Nathan's face, desperate, caused Other Nathan's stoic look to falter.

"I don't know. I lost track of her ten years ago. I heard she was being hunted down by the Ornatu Legion, but they seem to have given up on her." Other Nathan said, sadly. "Listen, don't worry. Please, forget about this rebel team and return to your world's safety. Your Priscilla is still alive. Look after her, okay? I'm glad she grew into such a beautiful woman."

"I..." Nathan said, avoiding his counterpart's gaze. "I can't just leave this be."

"Look, if you guys wanna keep doing what you're doing, fine. Just don't try and drag me into it. I need my own space!" Other Amara said, and she then ran off.

"You guys mentioned this rebel team to me too. I'll have to meet with them at some point, but I have things I need to take care of now. Don't worry. I have no intention of coming back to your city and trying to usurp you. Take care!" Other Nathan said, and with that he left the area.

"Well, I guess they _didn't_ join the party." Serena said, disappointed.

"I guess so, but right now I want to kill the Commander myself!" Amara said. "I'll make him pay for killing my father. Even if I have to go through the entire Ornatu Legion, I'll do it!"

"I'm in the same boat, too. If this Commander person is responsible for my father's death as well, then I have to make him pay. I can see how my other self must feel..." Nathan said, determined.

"Okay, guys, can we report back to the others now?" Serena asked. She looked worried - perhaps at Nathan and Amara's determination, or her other self's whereabouts.

"Oh, sorry." Amara said. "Let's go."

_Secret Base_

"So they didn't want to join at all?" Kyle asked. "I guess it'd be confusing have two Amaras and two Nathans around."

"At least they're safe!" Aimee said. "And even if they're not part of us yet, they're technically on our side!"

"Nothing ever gets you down, does it?" Kyle said, shaking his head. He turned back to his computer, looking through more and more files. Most of it was data on Ornatu Legion patrols and Shadow distribution around the city. Serena noticed that the bag of pretzels she brought were right next to him, already finished.

"Another vile denizen of the darkness has been defeated." Seraphina said, in her usual melodramatic way. "With each avatar of malice that faces extermination, the city nears closer to salvation!"

"Yeah, I think I kinda understood _half_ of that." Blaine said, scratching his head. "Anyway, are we done here for tonight? I need a drink! I had to skip a motorcycle race again for this! "

"Well, it's kind of my fault we all ended up here tonight. How about you guys come round to my house and we chill out?" Amara said. Her apartment was still in a state of disarray, but this fact had completely slipped her mind.

"Awesome!" Serena said, excited. "Let's go right now!"

"I **really **hope Priscilla doesn't find out about this." Nathan said, nervously. "Go on then, I might as well. Just for a little while."

"Great! Off we go. See ya, guys!" Blaine said. Waving goodbye to the others, the four returned to their world once again.

_Amara's Apartment_

"Well, it may be small, but I'm sure it's…Oh." Nathan said, as soon as they entered her apartment. With lots of pencils, paintbrushes, erasers and other tools scattered all over the room, it was clear Amara didn't prioritise cleaning up. The place would look as stylish and modern as the rest of the apartments in the block, but with the leftovers of last night's dinner still on the kitchen table, it was definitely not looking at it's best.

"So...you sure you wanted us to see this?" Blaine said, who seemed to be suppressing a laugh. Serena sat down on a chair, after removing numerous pencils. "It's...well, it suits you, I guess!"

"Thanks! I think." Amara said, sheepishly. Embarrassed, she ran into the kitchen and poured everyone some drinks - although for Serena, she simply got her water. "Okay, so inviting you guys over tonight wasn't my smartest move. Sorry! I'll clean up for next time."

"Oh, don't worry about that." Nathan said, and he quickly turned to a framed photograph on the wall. It was of a young Amara in the middle of her mother and father. "So that was you as a child? You look so happy!"

"Yeah, that was so long ago. It was my first birthday after moving here." Amara said, and she gazed into the photograph, deep in thought. So many warm memories were flooding back, such as her father taking the family for a cruise down the river…Amara took so many pictures that day, and later that year gave her parents a painting of the boat for Christmas.

"You're thinking about the other you, right?" Blaine said, with genuine concern. Amara gulped - she wasn't actually thinking about her, but now she was trying to imagine what she must be feeling. A dark world, where her parents are both dead, and she had to fight to stay alive…no wonder she wasn't exactly civil earlier.

"I think I understand how she feels a bit more." Amara said, sitting down. "I can't force her to join, but I want to make a difference over there. So that she can be as lucky as I am."

"I'm the same. I want my other self to be as lucky as me. I've got a lot to be thankful for, you know. Being the heir to a successful company has it's advantages!" Nathan said. Blaine grumbled at this, but Nathan ignored him. "Ye,t my other self has nothing to his name, not even Priscilla. I have to help somehow."

"Maybe it's a good thing we got into that other world." Serena said, taking a sip of her water. "I mean, we've started to realise how fortunate we are in this world. And we want to help those in need, even if they're in another world. And this is going to sound really cliché, but we got to meet each other."

"Yeah. If this hadn't happened, we probably never would have even spoken." Amara said, smiling herself. "I'm glad we did, though. It's only been a few days, but it feels like it's been longer."

"Well then, I guess today's the day we finally call ourselves a team?" Blaine stood up, and held out his hand. "I mean, we don't need to have a name, or anything like that. Just four people with nothing in common, except for fighting Shadows."

"Sounds good to me!" Amara said.

"Me too!" Serena said.

"I suppose so. I'm actually enjoying spending time with you girls. Oh, and...Blaine too, I guess." Nathan said, and the four of them did a firm group handshake.

Something felt right, Amara thought. It felt right for her to be with these three people. With them, they would somehow bring about the end of Aeternus and return the other New Motus City to normal. They would vanquish the Holy Cross, the Ornatu Legion, the Commander and even the 'Ater Vox', whoever they were. It may be another cliché, but together, they had so much more power than being alone.


	16. Chapter 16: Normal Day

_The quartet of souls that have newly risen to the challenge…they have done admirably so far. Finding their own path through the dark, they truly could bring back a utopia of light, and prevent the two streams from crashing into each other, ending the river of time._

_The shadows that pursue them, however, remain, and the misguided cross still fight with a false hope. Soon, truth shall come to the cross, and it may either shine anew, or fade into oblivion, alongside the reversed Magician, one whose dreams have been buried under the immense dark._

_I shall be watching, to witness the gods and demons these souls harbour…during both days of normality and days of warfare._

**Chapter 16: Normal Day**

_Real People Offices_

It was an eventful day for the Real People crowd - they would finally finish their first issue. There was quite a tense atmosphere, especially from Karen. She had been nagging everyone to work hard, especially Amara who was hard at work finishing her artwork. Amara finally put the finishing touches to the illustration of a small comic about fashion disasters, much to Colette's joy.

"Amara, you're amazing! I was never any good at art!" she said, face beaming. "Hey Sheila, don't you think Amara's incredible?"

"Yeah, sure. Whatever." Sheila, the relationship columnist, said without even looking. It was nice to have her art appreciated, though, even if Colette was easily impressed. Sheila tended to get really focused in her own work, never paying attention to anyone else. Which made Amara wonder how she got to be a relationship expert.

"You have a lot of pressure, huh? I mean, your artwork's gonna help sell this thing." Juan said, looking up from his MacBook. "I need to work harder to, so I don't look like a slacker! After all, Rome wasn't built in a day!"

"Well, going by the builders near my apartment, of course it wasn't." Sheila said.

"Haha! It's nothing special. I just practice a lot at home!" Amara said, thinking back to all the paintbrushes around her house. She made a mental note to clean up, in case anyone came round one night. "Anyway, Stella, where should we go for lunch today?"

"Well…" Stella said, happily. "The scared spirits of my stomach demand we try this Café Roma for ourselves."

"Great! I love some pizza! I tried making some back when I was in high school, but let's just say the results weren't great. Dad had to redecorate the entire kitchen." Amara said, giggling as the others stared in confusion.

"Alright, enough! Stop talking and get to work! We have to get this magazine out and soon!" Karen barked, with a face like thunder. Lucy, who had been quiet, nodded. Ignoring Colette's mention of her new pink outfit, Karen stormed back into her office.

"She's in a bad mood today, isn't she?" Sheila said. "Maybe her divorce isn't going well."

"Actually, I heard it was almost done. Maybe it's something else." Juan said. "Anyway, Colette, when I went to the Grand Canyon…"

_Silvana River, outside Johnson and Son's Bookstore_

It was just after school, and Kyle McHale was by himself. Serena apparently had too much homework to do, so she had to finish it off. Thus, Kyle had a rare afternoon to himself. The river was a nice place to be…especially for looking at the seagulls. Yet, he hadn't been here since he found out about Matthew's death.

"Matthew…" Kyle said, gazing into the sky, at the flock of seagulls. Over four years ago, Kyle was by the river, having been allowed to leave the house on his own. Despite this brief moment of freedom, Kyle didn't have anyone to hang out with, or anywhere else to go. Still, the river seemed like a nice place. Yet when he got there, he felt so miserable…and jealous of the seagulls. They could go wherever they wanted, and he was stuck watching them.

"Hey, kid!" a voice called from behind. Kyle panicked, and tried to pretend they were calling for someone else. In the blink of an eye, a pair of binoculars appeared in front of him…held by a teenager, with black hair and blue eyes. There was something contagious about his smile…

"Why are you giving these to me, sir?" Kyle said, nervous at the older boy. Shaking, he took the binoculars, and stared at them. They looked so expensive, and he wondered how much the boy spent on them.

"Sir? I'm just a kid! The name's Matthew. I just thought you'd like them. You can see the birds closer with those!" he said. Kyle tried them out, and gasped - he could see them so clearly. "I've seen you before, you know."

"Really? But I've never noticed you before..." Kyle said, still apprehensive.

"Welll, you always looked so down! Dunno why you were so sad, but I just felt like talking with ya! C'mon, why don't we do something, you and me? There's so many things in the city you can't do alone." Matthew said, grinning. Kyle looked down, at his wheelchair, and sighed. "Oh, that thing? Well…even so, we can probably find something fun. Don't worry! I don't bite. I'm not a werewolf or anything."

"Heh... Oh, I'm Kyle." Kyle said, a bit less wary. "You sure we can find something fun for the both of us?"

"Of course! Besides, it's good to get away from home once in a while. I'm from Kanaloa! Not the most fun place in the world." Matthew said. The two of them went off, talking all the way towards Saragel, and Kyle realised as they arrived, he had made his true first friend.

"Matthew...Why did you have to die?" Kyle asked, staring at his reflection in the water. Now Kyle was the same age as Matthew was, the day they first met. Yet Kyle believed he hadn't changed at all. They day he found out Matthew died...he could never forget. Kyle tried to put on a happy front for his mother, and when he was with Serena, he was truly happy. She understood him, and every time they met, his heart raced. Yet without her or Kyle, he just felt like a burden, trapped in his wheelchair.

After a long while, Kyle left the river - but as he was leaving, he thought he saw someone familiar. That 'Dan' person. Matthew's older brother. He had spoken about his family at length, but Kyle had forgotten the details. All he really remembered was that it sounded like he had a lot of fun. More than he had at his house, where he was just with his mother day after day.

"Should I say hello?" Kyle thought to himself. However, Dan soon saw him, and simply waved. Kyle waved too, and quickly left. "I wonder if he's sad as well..."

_Serena's Room_

"Ugh..." Serena said, staring at the stack of papers in front of her. There was a lot to do, but the history report was the worst on the list. For some reason, it was her worst subject. Possibly because it wasn't one she could be creative in, but it was the one she scored the least in. And of course, her parents wouldn't let her forget it. Yet ever since her seventeenth birthday, she hadn't spoken to them very much, and they had kept out of her way.

"Man, what now?" Serena said, thinking. "Maybe I could ask someone for help?" Nathan would be busy at work, Amara would be as well, so that left Blaine. She never thought of Blaine as the academic type, but maybe he wouldn't be working today. Perhaps he knew more than he let on. Even if he didn't, she could use a fun conversation. The atmosphere at home was as tense as ever, and Serena was not looking forward to another dinner where no one said a word. Throwing caution to the wind, she dialled his number.

"Hey, what's up? Some guy on WoW call you a bitch again?" Blaine said.

"No, silly! I need to do this history report for tomorrow. Thing is, I suck at it. You wouldn't happen to be any good at this stuff, would you?" she asked…but after she said it, she suddenly felt afraid, like he would tell her to get lost. Or something more explicit.

"Hey, don't sound so sceptical. It's been a while since I was at school, but I can probably give you a hand. I know what sceptical means, after all! Where should we meet, though? I don't think your folks would want me around. It'd be awkward." Blaine said. Serena could just imagine what her parents would say if he came round, asking for her. Perhaps they would accuse him of being a drug dealer, or taking advantage of young girls. Serena didn't think Blaine was like that, but her parents would never listen to her.

"Yeah, going to your place would be really risky. How about Cocoa Harbour?" Serena asked. "It'll be busy as usual, so we can probably avoid getting caught. I can just say you're my older cousin!"

"Older is right! Okay, then I'll see you later. Trust me, I know more about this stuff than you think." Blaine said, and he hung up. Serena packed up her things, and stared out the window at the yew tree that her sister planted long ago. The sister she never could surpass, always in her shadow, even after death. Without even saying goodbye, she left the house with her things.

_Cocoa Harbour_

Serena arrived early, so she had to wait a while before Blaine arrived. Wondering if he'd take his motorcycle, she looked out the window, anticipating the roaring engine of his Black Lightning. Then, as she often did, she started daydreaming. In her mind, she had a vision of a gang of heroes, riding up to an evil stronghold on giant beasts of machines, the sounds of the engines echoing throughout the land.

"Ah!" She shouted, as she felt someone tap her shoulder. Blaine was standing there, struggling to contain his laughter. "I thought you were taking your motorbike!"

"Nah, not today. Man, the look on your face is priceless!"

"Stop it! I was just thinking how cool it'd be if you drove up on that thing, with your sunglasses. You know, like one of those cop shows."

"Well, maybe next time. So, let's check out what you've done so far." Blaine said, grabbing Serena's sheet of paper. "You…just wrote a title. Really?"

"I know! This class is just really boring!" Serena said, annoyed. "So, here's what I'm supposed to do."

It took quite a long time, but Serena and Blaine finally put together the essay - on the numerous political reforms in the city around 1850-80, and their affect on the city's international relationships. Serena mostly just worked with what Blaine told her, and she couldn't believe how much he knew - even the obscure last minute change to the Farawell Agreement of Trust.

"Wow, you're good at this! No one else in class knew about that!" Serena said, sighing.

"Well, I was the only one in my class paying any attention!" Blaine said, looking out towards the sea. "You know what happened to my old school? Got knocked down to make way for an apartment block. Which got burned down the next month. Fun times!"

"Really? Damn. Kanaloa sounds really bad. How do you manage?" Serena asked. "I mean…if you had been born anywhere else, you could be doing so much more than a waiter in a Korean place!"

"Hey, it's not so bad! But you just kinda have to keep going. If you're not strong enough, you'll just get your ass handed to you every time. So I got in fights a lot!" Blaine said, clenching his fists. "Trust me, I had more wins than losses back in the day. So yeah, I wasn't exactly the head boy."

"At least now you're fighting monsters, instead of people!" Serena said. "Hey…after last night, I've been wondering about the other us. We've seen Amara and Nathan, but not us. You think we will?"

"…Definitely." Blaine said, looking at Serena's notebook (which was covered in doodles of random monsters and rather embellished weapons). "If their other selves can use Personas, then so can ours. After all, we're all kicking ass over there."

"I know, right?" Serena said, cheerful. "You know, when I first met you, I was kinda scared. But you're kinda cool. Kinda."

"Cooler than Nathan, right? Awesome!" Blaine said, as the two of them laughed out loud. It was strange - the two of them felt close, despite having known each other less than a week. Perhaps fighting the Shadows made it easier to bond. "Well, did your 'older cousin' help you today?"

"Yeah, I think he did, a lot! Way more helpful than the parents." Serena said. Blaine noticed Serena's smile falter when she said this, and looked at her, concerned. "Oh…well, I don't really get along with them. I had an older sister, and they never shut up about her. Nina was her name."

"So they want you to be like her?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah! Or at least, they did. But when I turned seventeen, everything changed. We never talk anymore, and that was four months ago." Serena said, anger rising in her voice. "Nina was a smart cookie. She was in Aeternus, you know."

"You think she was there when the explosion happened?" Blaine asked. Serena gasped - that had been exactly what she was thinking.

"I think so. They didn't find her body, but she was definitely headed to the convention centre!" Serena said. "For about a year, she was acting really strange, like we were mud on her shoes. My parents didn't care, they loved their successful big sister and kept telling me to follow her example. But one day she moved out without saying anything. And when I last saw her, she…said…"

"Hey, you don't have to tell me. You're already crying." Blaine said, gently.

"I am?" Serena said, and as she wiped away a tear, she gasped. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get so upset over my family."

"Don't worry about it! I've had a lot of family problems myself. It sucks. But you'll be okay. " Blaine said, and his face showed total sincerity. Serena looked up, stunned. Maybe Blaine really was like a cousin…

"Thanks for today! I really have to go home now. See you, Cousin Blaine!" Serena said, finishing her drink.

"Later, Cousin!" Blaine said, watching as Serena left the coffee shop. To think, she had revealed something so private to him…Blaine felt pretty good about himself. Up until now, he never thought he could make a difference. He never really had the chance to excel at high school, what with his mother, fights with the other kids…times were tough. Serena still had both her parents, but she couldn't stand to be in the same house as them. Was there something he could do? It was too late for him, but if he could help Serena, then that would be enough…

_Nova Albion, Augustus Square_

When Nathan arrived at the square with Priscilla, he half expected to see the broken street lights and cracks in the ground from the battle before. Yet, it was just the way it usually was, and people were walking around as normal. Feeling both relief, yet guilt…he looked up, around at the buildings.

"Nathan, what's wrong?" Priscilla asked. "You're still thinking about that person who looked a lot like you, right?"

"Um, yeah." Nathan said. "I haven't seen him since then, and Father knew nothing about it!" The truth was, Nathan had never asked his father about it. He was already well aware who the mystery man was. "He can't have been from around here, judging by his clothes. He looked like a vandal from Kanaloa. Worthless good-for-nothings."

"Hey, that's not very nice!" Priscilla said, and she gave Nathan one of her trademark pinches. If he ever started to get really wound up - usually over Kanaloa - she would pinch him in the arm. She wasn't a particularly strong woman, but it still hurt like hell, and this always made Nathan shut up.

"Okay, okay!" Nathan said. "So, are Tara and Adrian coming soon?"

"Yes, they should be here any minute! I'm looking forward to seeing her play!" Priscilla said, happily. "Remember when we first met her, and she had out-performed the teacher in her first class?"

"Yeah, she was amazing. Still is!" Nathan said.

Soon, a young black woman, with long black hair in a curly ponytail, and vivid hazel eyes came into the area. Wearing a classy red dress, she looked every inch the violinist for the most prestigious orchestra in town. She was Tara Miller, one of Nathan and Priscilla's dearest friends. Alongside her was a young man, who she towered over, with brown hair in a bowl cut and grey eyes. He was dressed smartly too, his red dinner jacket complete with a red tie. Adrian Gale, Tara's boyfriend of many years.

"Tara! Adrian!" Priscilla said, running over. "Good to see you guys!" Priscilla and Tara hugged, whilst Adrian and Nathan shook hands.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Tara said. "I'm sorry I haven't been in touch, but I had to practice every day for the orchestra. It has to be perfect, and I keep finding new things to focus on."

"She's not kidding. I had to listen to her play every night. And if I didn't give her a detailed review, she said she'd tell everyone my childhood nickname." Adrian said, smiling.

"Well, you're the upcoming record producer! You're supposed to be an expert on music!" Tara said. Nathan and Priscilla laughed, used to seeing them tease each other. "So, how are things at your father's company?"

"Same as ever. Yet there's talk of him retiring this year. He hasn't said a word to me, though." Nathan said, apprehensive. The idea of him taking over the company was actually terrifying. To think he could be charge of his family's corporation. If he made one wrong move, he could destroy his family's reputation as well as the business...

Adrian just shrugged. "Well, you can worry about that later! Just take it as it comes."

"What about that new singer you're working with?" Priscilla asked.

"Oh, her? She's okay, but after one hit she'll be finished." Adrian said, shrugging again. "I mean…it'd be nice to find someone who I didn't have to auto-tune to make a million, you know?"

"It's your first record since you got the job, you know. You should be more excited!" Nathan said. Adrian tended to be lazy about most things, which explained why he didn't get as high grades as the other three did.

The four of them once attended university abroad, Nathan and Priscilla studying business whilst Tara and Adrian studied music. They met during a debate over the budget for the school, where they soon hit it off and became lifelong friends. Although Nathan didn't know it at the time, Tara and Adrian both lived in the city as well - which made them decide to remain in touch even after they returned home.

"I guess. I'm just waiting for someone special to come along." Adrian said, then he noticed Tara's mocking glare. "I meant special at singing! You're the only one for me, you know. Hehe."

"Oh, you dork. You're so adorable when you're worried!" Tara said, her face beaming. "After all the weeks of practice, I'm looking forward to tonight. Let's go, shall we?"

"Yes!" Nathan said, as the four of them headed towards the famous Gautier Restaurant.

All of the city's most famous residents had been there at least once, and it had received glowing reviews every year. To Nathan's surprise…he saw four familiar people dining at the table outside. Alastair, Bianca, Kazuya and Richard! He tried not to stare, but he couldn't help himself. He could hear their conversation, but it was simply about Alastair getting turned down when he asked a woman out. The woman he described sounded a lot like Amara, too.

"Nathan, what's wrong? Do you know those people?" Priscilla asked. "You've been a little weird lately…"

"Don't fret about it! He's probably just been working too hard. Come on, Mister, forget about the office for one night! Just have fun!" Adrian said, jovial. "You know, like when you were young?"

"I'm only twenty eight, you know!" Nathan said, with a forced grin. Seeing the Holy Cross's normal selves made him think back to his other self. He was all alone, with Priscilla missing, and there was no telling what had become of Tara and Adrian. Nathan actually shed a tear, at the thought of Priscilla being killed by a Shadow. He soon regained his composure as the four were sat down at a table, however.

Today was just a normal day, after all.


	17. Chapter 17: Secret of the Dark

**Chapter 17: Secret of the Dark**

_Aeternus, Meeting Room_

The tension in the room was unbearable. Another meeting had been called to discuss the Holy Cross' recent failures, and it was rather likely that the Commander would be asked to pass on the Ater Vox's messages. Sitting at the large white table, Alastair looked around, wary that the commander could appear at any second.

"No sign of them yesterday. They must be keeping a low profile." Kazuya said, the first words anyone had said after entering the room. "If the Ornatu Legion can patrol the entire city and still not find them, then they truly are something else."

"Yeah, but you saw how furious the Commander was on Tuesday. He won't be all "Let's give up, at least you tried", he won't stop punishing us until we capture them!" Richard said. "Damn, this sucks. What are we supposed to do?"

"I've no clue. Why can't someone else be the Commander? Someone who doesn't threaten to 'fucking kill' us every five seconds?" Kazuya said, exhausted. None of them had slept very well the previous night, and Richard's fatique was slowly creeping up on him. He was almost ready to doze off, fear being the only thing keeping him awake.

"He doesn't talk like that _all_ the time!" Bianca said, yawning. "Please, let's just get this meeting over with!" Alastair nodded, and the four of them sat there in silence, but no one came. Richard started whistling a tune, but one glare from Kazuya and he stopped.

"Did something happen?" Alastair asked. "If he can't make it, then shouldn't he tell us?"

"I hardly think keeping you ineffectual losers waiting is at the top of his priorities, Mr Clark."

The four of them gasped, and soon, a hologram of a human head appeared in the middle of the desk. A young male, with jet black spiky hair that covered part of his left eye. His eyes had a strange orange hue, and there was something inhuman about them.

"Nihane Kronos." Alastair said. This was only the second time they had ever met the leader of the Ater Vox. Nihane, alongside the others, never made public appearances. Few even knew his name. Yet…he was the one in charge of the entire organisation.

"Correct. Notice that instead of sending forth your Commander, I have deigned to speak to you all. I assure you, the pleasure is not all mine." Nihane said, with a sense of superiority.

"Are we in trouble?" Bianca asked, afraid to stare into Nihane's eyes.

"Pitiful Bianca, away with the fairies in her imaginary flower garden!" Nihane said, with a disturbingly fake laugh. "Let's see. Neither one of you can capture the new Persona users that have appeared, and after the first encounter, the details you provide are vague. So to answer your question…you four are in _serious_ trouble." he said, with a sadistic smile.

"We are truly sorry, Nihane. We will succeed next time, I promise!" Alastair begged. Nihane shook his head, and let out a snide laugh.

"Now you're making promises you could never keep. The Holy Cross's chances to impress have passed long ago. But, I'm feeling generous. You now have one last chance to impress me, you simpletons. _One_." Nihane said, his smile turning to an eerie stoic look.

"What would you have us do, Sir?" Kazuya asked.

"I was going to tell you anyway, so that question was completely pointless! You, and the Commander, shall work together on a trap. It would seem the time has finally come to send him!" Nihane said. "Listen carefully. If I have to repeat myself, you will learn a new meaning for the word punishment."

_Solar Ray Mall, Bar Seoul_

"Here we are again..." Nathan said, sitting down. "At least we get a discount from coming here, thanks to Blaine."

"Yeah. 10% off. That's what I get for working my ass off all day here. ...Okay I work part-time here, but you get the idea." Blaine said, looking through the menu. "Korean food is so weird."

"I guess tonight we're back in the other world, then." Amara said. "It's already been one week since we started this thing. Scary how fast the time goes."

"Yeah, maybe if you're having fun, it makes time go like twice as fast. Like a fast forward button." Serena said. "Such is the treachery of Chronos."

"Huh?" Blaine said. "Never mind. Hopefully we can just go in for some training."

"Yeah, that'd be good!" Amara said, smiling. "After all the craziness, beating up Shadows is a great way to unwind. And more fun than a stress ball."

"Have you ever used one of those?" Nathan asked.

"Stress balls suck. That's why I have video games." Serena said. "In fact, last time I was stressed I spent eight hours trying to get my character's stats up, and I fell asleep during a battle, so I ended up dying."

"In other words, it proved counter-intuitive." Nathan said. "But enough of that. Let's go to the base as soon as we're done."

"Correction: Go to the bathroom first, then go to the base." Blaine said, with a slightly sinister air to his voice. "Korean food is spicy, you know."

_Secret Base_

The base was the same as ever, and the three rebels were at the computer. Kyle was occupied with a phone conversation, whilst the two ladies were watching camera footage of what looked like the streets of Takanawa, the city's Asian district.

"Okay, okay! I guess I'll see you later. Oh rather, when you feel like it. Bye." Kyle said, hanging up, He sighed in disbelief, shaking his head. "Of all the nights to go to the bar!"

"Problem?" Nathan asked.

"Ah!" Kyle said, surprised. "You two knew they were there, didn't you?"

"Sir Kyle, one knows when not to interrupt you." Seraphina said. "Lady Priscilla and Sir Daniel are currently at The Mole, in Farawell." The Mole was an underground bar that had shut years ago, due to an unfortunate situation involving kidnapping.

"The Mole, huh? I'm guessing they don't do karaoke in this world." Amara said, trying to imagine a bar in a city like this. What sort of customers would risk Shadows for a drink?

"Lady Priscilla..." Nathan said. "You mean Priscilla Lancaster?!"

"Yes." Aimee said, anxiously. "I know I kept saying she was busy, but the truth is, she didn't want to face you. After all, you are Nathan, but not the Nathan of this world. Another Priscilla's Nathan. I finally talked her round today, but she didn't want to meet you here."

"You knew Priscilla that long ago?" Serena asked. "Love at first sight, huh?" Blaine groaned, and looked away.

"Yes, we've known each other since we were children!" Nathan said, fondly. "I wouldn't call it love at first sight, but I soon realised I was falling in love..."

"I'm so sorry, Nathan. I should have said something sooner." Aimee said. "I thought I was doing the right thing by keeping quiet."

"It's alright. I'm glad she's here, and if she's part of this group, she won't be caught by Aeternus." Nathan said, relieved. "I need to tell the other Nathan, though!"

"Don't worry, she knows. That's what made her ready to show herself. It must be confusing, having to deal with two Nathans." Aimee said, sitting down. "Oh, and there's Daniel. I dunno why, but he hasn't wanted to show himself either."

"How come? He's not shy, is he?" Blaine said, glad they had stopped talking about romance.

"Well, he keeps to himself a lot. If he's not fighting Shadows or on a mission, he'll be in The Mole drinking." Aimee said. "He's scary if he's mad, but he's sweet if you get on his good side!"

"Okay, enough talk! We're going to The Mole to meet them, huh?" Amara said, excited. "I wonder what their Personas are like?"

"I _could_ just show you." Kyle said, pouting. "I do keep extensive records on this for a reason. I've even been keeping data on yours!"

"You and your research, Kyle!" Serena said - but she gasped. "I'm sorry! I keep forgetting, you and I aren't friends here -"

"Well, don't worry. I think I can trust you four. Now go. I'll activate the NDD. I'll warn you, The Mole isn't a family friendly place." Kyle said, taking out some kind of identification card. "Show this to Kaman, the barman. He knows who I am. Without it, Serena will just get thrown out."

"Got it. Thanks!" Serena said, taking the card, and without thinking, she ruffled his hair. "Hehe!"

"Please don't ever do that again. My hair's untidy enough as it is!" Kyle said, trying to neaten his hair. "Now go!"

_The Mole, Farawell_

"God, it stinks in here!" Nathan said, trying to waft the smell away from his nose. The room the four were in was dank and dusty, and across from them were lavatories.

"They don't clean the bathroom much, do they?" Serena said, pinching her nose. "This is what they mean by 'evil smell'."

"Can we just get out of here and into the fucking bar?" Blaine shouted.

"Yeah." Amara said, and she opened the door.

The bar was not a pleasant place. With stains all over the worn wooden floors and walls, and flickering bare light bulbs, it looked like it was designed to be as off-putting as possible. A few unruly men were drinking their beer, and leering at a tall young madam with blue hair playing the piano. Her music was definitely the most pleasant sound of the place, considering the perverted jeers and one customer on the floor, passed out.

"This must be a typical night out for you, huh Blaine?" Nathan said, staring at a dartboard broken in half on the floor.

"Shut it." Blaine said, walking up to the barman - a man with greasy black hair, thick stubble and green eyes. He didn't seem to be quite as vulgar as the clientele hassling the woman at the piano, who seemed to be unfazed by the repeated demands to take her clothes off.

"Howdy. What can I do you for?" he said, polishing a glass.

"Um, are you Kaman? We're here to see some friends of ours." Nathan said, as Serena showed Kaman the ID card. "They are still here, right?"

"Of course they are. They just went into the back room. Normally, Dan's at the bar knocking the booze back, and Priscilla never comes here unless she's been sent to drag him home." Kaman said, cleaning glasses. "Sorry about this place! It's hard to get money to do it up, and I get these people all the time."

"Please don't worry about that. You're doing a good job as it is, running a bar in these tough times." Nathan said, but there was something insincere about the way he said it.

"Wow, thanks. Been a while since someone said something good about here! Anyway, they're in that room. Hurry up and go!" Kaman said, and the four of them went through the room.

_The Mole's Private Room_

"Priscilla!" Nathan cried, and the lady sitting at the lone table gasped, standing up. Her fair blonde hair, her blue eyes…they were an exact match to the lady Amara had seen with Nathan one week ago. This was Priscilla Lancaster, Nathan's long-term girlfriend. Instead of the posh outfits Amara imagined her wearing, she was dressed in a blue t-shirt and skirt, with knee-high boots and gloves, and a stylish blue tabard.

"Nathan! I mean, the other Nathan. It's nice to finally meet you." she said. She stared at him, and after a few seconds of staring, hugged him tight. "It may not be the same Nathan of this world, but I'm glad I finally get to see you again! I've missed you so much!" she said, eyes watering.

"So, this is Priscilla, huh? Nathan got really lucky." Blaine said. Nathan glared at him, and Blaine just shrugged.

"Relax, um…what should I call you? Nathan the Second?" Priscilla said, cheerfully. "This gentlemen means no harm!"

"See? Why can't you be more like her, Nate?" Blaine said, with a wide grin.

"Don't call him that, you'll get him mad!" Priscilla said. Amara couldn't help but smile - Priscilla looked so overjoyed. She had finally found her boyfriend after ten years apart, even if it wasn't the one who had spent the same decade without her.

"He already did that." Nathan said, glaring at Blaine - then he smiled as he turned back to Priscilla. "To think you were part of the rebel team all along!"

"I should have shown myself sooner, I know. Oh, these must be the others. Amara Furaha, Serena Agnethe, and Blaine Spencer!" Priscilla said, and she shook everyone's hand. "Good to finally meet you!"

"Wait, is that Dan?!" he shouted, staring at the man sitting down. The man had been staring at the table the whole time, and there were quite a number of empty beer glasses in front of him, in stark contrast to the single wine glass at Priscilla's side of the table. He had a blue cap on, covering his short black hair, but he still had a goatee. Despite it being June, he had a blue scarf around his neck, with a matching blue and black coat.

"Hello." Dan said, looking up. Blaine looked pretty pleased, but Dan's face soured at the sight of him. "I'm Dan Kingsley. So this is what the Blaine of the other world looks like."

"How have you been, buddy?" Blaine said, ignoring the fact Dan seemed annoyed.

"How have I been!? What do you fucking think?!" Dan suddenly screamed, hitting a glass to the floor.

"Daniel! Get a hold of yourself!" Priscilla shouted. "It's a miracle you're even allowed in here, with all the glasses you break!"

"Shut it!" Dan yelled back. Priscilla looked away, in fright.

"Hey, don't shout at her!" Amara said.

"Dammit. Sorry. I have to remember, you don't know anything about this world. I thought everyone was on crack when they were talking about this other dimension shit."

"It is rather bizarre, but it's definitely true. I've encountered my other self, as has Amara here. Clearly, the Aeternus takeover has turned them into very different people..." Nathan said, wary of Dan's temper.

"I still haven't seen my other self yet. Alastair said she was dead, but the other Amara said she wasn't. What's up with that?" Serena said.

"Well, she said that only she and the Commander knew -" Amara began saying, but then Dan suddenly looked berserk. "What is it now?"

"Commander...that fucking bastard. He probably killed her himself. Wouldn't be the first time." Dan said, as he drank more ale.

"We still don't know much about him. The Holy Cross seem to think he's the best thing since sliced bread, and he killed Amara and Nathan's dad." Blaine said, thinking back. "You don't know anything about him, do you guys?"

"No, I've never met him. I didn't think he'd murder Reginald, though!" Priscilla said, shocked.

"Actually, I've seen him." Dan said. He stared straight ahead, and he had a look of pure hatred in his eyes.

"Dan, is he someone we know?" Blaine asked, worried. He looked a lot more concerned than he usually did, which alarmed Amara.

"Oh, he sure is. You know what he did, as soon as he became Commander? He blew up Kanaloa so Aeternus could build their headquarters!" Dan yelled, slamming his fist.

"No!" Blaine said, stunned. "That can't be...no one else said -"

"Dan, you never told us any of this before! If you've had personal dealings with the Commander before, you should have spoke up!" Priscilla said sternly, but Dan looked away.

"It's none of your business. I'm the one who's going to take him down. Kanaloa was a shithole, sure, but it was my home! It was where I grew up, and where I had to look after Matthew. And I thought it was his home, too." Dan said, bitterly.

"That's awful! He killed an entire district of people?!" Amara said. She felt sick at the thought of the area being blown to pieces, without anyone surviving. "No one survived except you?"

"I wasn't there at the time. When I came back, I saw him there, and he was acting all guilty, like he didn't know what he was doing. " Dan said. "Matthew was still there when it happened." Blaine's eyes widened in horror. Serena seemed to know what this meant, but Amara and Nathan just looked at each other.

"Your younger brother?" Priscilla said. "Daniel, I'm sorry-"

"Forget about it. I have to make him pay. He hasn't seen me in ten long years, but when I do see him, he's not getting away. I got my Persona now, and I'm not losing to him again." Dan said, still angry.

"What's his name?" Nathan asked, sneakily shoving shards of broken glass under a chair. "If you and Blaine know this person, he must be from Kanaloa to."

"I don't wanna say it yet. You'll see for yourself sometime." Dan said, finishing his beer. "Damn, I'm exhausted. Let's go back, I need to get some sleep." he said, leaving the room.

"Um, he can be really short-tempered. He's usually better with Kyle, though!" Priscilla said, as she followed. "We should go too, Aimee will get worried if we're late. She can be such a slave-driver."

"Yeah, let's get out of here. This place is horrible, and all the men kept staring at me!" Amara said. "They don't even have one of the criteria on my checklist."

"You have a checklist for eligible men?" Nathan said, laughing.

"_Hypothetical_ checklist." Amara replied.

_Secret Base_

"You're back sooner than I thought! Normally, Dan drinks half his body weight before he bothers to come back." Kyle said, smirking.

"And you're always on that thing, typing so fast I can't get any sleep!" Dan said. "And when I wake up with a hangover, you're still there, asleep at your chair!" Amara noticed his mood improved upon seeing Kyle. Aimee and Seraphina came out of the kitchen, with some snacks.

"Yeah, well, it's comfy!" Kyle said, embarrassed. "Oh, I just found something interesting. A document on Lorean Tower. It's a building used to supply the Shadow power to various buildings, using an underground power network. On the Aeternus server, there's a diagram that lists devices to shut down power at any facility!"

"Doesn't that mean they could stop your power supply?" Serena asked. "If they did that -"

"Not a problem. We've got our own installed, and it's not like Shadows are in low supply." Kyle said, smugly. "It was quite difficult to get running. Anyway, if we can break into Lorean Tower, we can see about stopping power to Aeternus facilities. Which ought to stop them from producing more Shadows."

"Remember the mission at Lucille Valley, Kyle? We need to be more careful this time!" Aimee said. Amara looked away, remembering her screw-up. "Hold on. Kyle, check the news feed. There's something about Lorean Tower there."

In the article, published about twenty minutes beforehand, it mentioned that the Holy Cross would be deployed as guardians of the tower for a period of time, due to 'terrorist activity'. "Some babble about how Aeternus want to protect the citizens. Very few people know that the energy source is made from Shadows, so everything thinks they're heroes for providing them with safe fuel." Kyle said.

"How ignoble! A front to convince the petrified citizens that actions are being taken!" Seraphina said, disgusted. "Alas, the Holy Cross are there. All four."

"They've probably got tons of Ornatu Legion fuckers there too." Dan said, frowning. Nathan shook his head in disapproval, but Dan paid him no attention.

"Ignore him, Nathan, he's not got the most refined vocabulary." Priscilla said. "So what should we do?"

"Well, if we can pull this off, we could reduce the number of Shadows like Kyle said." Aimee said, contemplating. "Which ought to make it easier to move around the city. If we could do this without getting caught, we could even disable all the security systems in the Aeternus Headquarters!"

"The headquarters...that's where Kanaloa used to be." Blaine said, eyes to the floor. Dan simply sighed, too tired to get angry.

"We can't go in through the front door. The Holy Cross will be waiting for us, along with any number of Ornatu Legion members." Aimee said, still thinking. "But there must be an NDD somewhere, right?"

"Of course! I already found it." Kyle said, showing a map of the tower's ground floor. There was a single red dot, in the hallway leading upstairs. "Also, I can hack into their camera footage. Looks like most of the Legion are on the ground floor, but you might have to fight some more upstairs. Beat them quickly!"

"Right." Blaine said. Normally, he was enthusiastic, but now he didn't seem to care at all.

"Blaine?" Aimee asked, worried. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." he said.

"So when are we going?" Serena asked, getting excited.

"Soon. Oh, and there are many Shadows there too. You'll have to be on your guard at all times. Don't worry about the security cameras, I've already disabled their access to them. It was really easy to hack into them, which is weird!" Kyle said, curious.

"How about we go now?" Amara said, getting her sword ready. "No point in waiting!" Nathan and Serena nodded, but Blaine wasn't even listening. "Blaine, I know you're still upset about Dan, but -"

"You don't know shit. I'm not going." Blaine snapped, without a flicker of emotion in his voice.

"Huh?!" Amara gasped. This wasn't like him at all. "Blaine, what's going on?"

"There's something I need to take care of." Blaine muttered, looking at Dan. "Just go already!"

"Um...in that case, I'll send Priscilla to take his place!" Aimee said. "I suppose I can give him some time off!" Despite her attempt, she couldn't lighten the mood. Priscilla walked over, and entered the NDD code. "Good luck, everyone!"

"I'm looking forward to showing you what **Uathach **can do! Let's go!" she said, as she went through. Amara, Serena and Nathan went on ahead.

_Lorean Tower Hallway_

The hallway of the tower was almost alien with it's architecture. All sorts of neon patterns on the walls and floors, and large steel doors with complicated numbers on them. It certainly smelled better than The Mole, but it felt so artificial and lifeless.

Amara soon got a text message from Kyle. It read "Go to the room marked FW5, and enter the key code BF49PER0." As the four of them went to put the key in, Amara thought back to Blaine. Why didn't he want to come? Lorean Tower was located outside where Kanaloa would be, but was that all that was bothering him? Soon, some Shadows appeared - weaker Samurai styled ones, wearing maroon armour. The minute they saw the four humans, they attacked with their katanas, causing quite a bit of damage.

"Damn! Media!" Artemis healed the team as usual.

"Maragi!" Hathor's fire spell didn't seem to do a thing. "Crap."

"Garula!" Setanta's wind did a bit of damage, but not enough to seriously injure the Samurai. It slashed Nathan quickly, and began to charge itself up with energy.

"Guys, leave this one to me!" Priscilla shouted. "Oh Uathach, come forth!" Emerging from Priscilla's body, with the same blue explosion as all true Personas, was quite the beauty, with long ethereal curls of white hair and scarlet red eyes. Wearing a dark purple outfit, that revealed plenty of light purple skin, she had a large ripped cape flapping behind her.

Uathach, with a seductive dance, blasted all the Samurai with incredible ice power. This was enough to send them to the floor, dropping their swords. "Finish him off!" Priscilla roared, and the four of them slashed the Shadows until they were destroyed, their swords vanishing as well.

"Awesome!" Amara said. "Uathach is so pretty!"

"And powerful." Nathan said, smiling. "It looks like I've still got a long way to go."

"It's really just practice. When I first summoned her, I didn't know what to do. I didn't trust Aeternus at all, but I didn't have a home to go back to - some Shadows used Agi spells to burn down my parent's house." Priscilla said sadly, as she dismissed Uathach. "So many people have died because of the Shadows..."

"Well, we're going to end it! Right?" Amara said.

"Right. We'll make this city normal again, no matter how long it takes!" Nathan said, holding Priscilla's hand. "I'll help you find the other me, I promise!"

"Thank you, Nathan." Priscilla said. "Anyway, let's take a look at the machines here. We should ask Kyle what to do next."

"So you think Blaine's going to be okay?" Serena asked. "Maybe he won't come back. That would suck…he's been pretty useful so far!"

"That's up to him. He said he had something to take care of, though, and that bothers me." Nathan said. "Dan didn't seem pleased at all to see his old friend, either. Doesn't that make you wonder?"

"Wonder about what?" Amara said. She seemed to have an idea, but she didn't want to be the first to say it.

"Wonder what happened between them. Maybe we should ask when we get back." Nathan said. Amara breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully, it was just her who had come to her conclusion.

_Secret Base_

"Sir Blaine, what is lingering on your mind? You seem to have lost all your lustre..." Seraphina tried staring into Blaine's eyes, but looked away.

"I've been thinking, and I think I finally figured it out." Blaine said, with a grave expression. "Dan, you said we both know who the Commander is, right?"

"Huh?" Aimee said.

"I meant what I said." Dan said, not even looking at him. "It took you long enough to figure it out."

"It's not that. I just didn't want to believe it." Blaine said. After a long silence - during which even Kyle had stopped looking at his computer to watch - Blaine took a deep breath.

"What's wrong with you two?" Aimee asked.

"It's me, isn't it?"


	18. Chapter 18: Storm and Stress

**Chapter 18: Storm and Stress**

"Why isn't Kyle saying anything?" Priscilla asked, as the team stood around the room. Nathan and Amara kept a look out, but no Ornatu Legion members came.

"I dunno. Do you think something happened?" Serena asked. "Oh god...you don't think Blaine did something, do you? Like get possessed by a demon?"

"Normally I'd say that's impossible, but we are in another dimension at the moment. I guess anything's possible now."Amara said, worried. "Hold on, I'll try calling Kyle." Ringing his number, Amara got more and more anxious with each ring. Finally, he picked up.

"Sorry about that." Kyle said. "I was a little distracted."

"Is Blaine alright?" Amara asked. "He hasn't done anything stupid, has he?"

"No - hey, where are you going?" Kyle shouted, and Amara thought she could hear the NDD firing up. "Dammit. Never mind that for now. I'll tell you about it later. Anyway, here's what to do. Listen _very _carefully. If I have to repeat myself, I will, but I'll complain about it endlessly."

After following some complicated instructions, they successfully stopped power flowing to numerous locations. "Okay, good. Now, I'm going to call you back later, so I need you to do the same thing in a couple more rooms, then get back here when I tell you to. Good luck." Kyle said, hanging up.

"So what's going on?" Serena asked. "It didn't look like Blaine was under the Berserk status."

"I don't know, Kyle didn't say. I thought I heard someone using the NDD." Amara said. "It'll be alright. Blaine probably just decided to go home. Let's get going!"

_Hallway_

"Huh? It's you!"

_Oh crap_, Amara thought, as two Ornatu Legion members spotted them. Two boys, both with swords, summoned their Personas, 'Nata Taishi' and 'Tenong Cut'.

"Let's get this over with! Maragi!" Amara called out, and Hathor's flames hit the two boys.

"Argh...natural Persona users...why?" one boy said.

"I'm never getting promoted, am I?" the other boy said.

"I think it's safe to say your contract has been terminated." Nathan said, and with a few more spells, they were defeated. An odd red mist dissipated from their bodies, and it flew through the window.

"Whoa! The hell was _that_?" Amara asked.

"That happens when Ornatu Legion members are defeated. They're alive, but they won't have any memory of having a Persona." Priscilla said.

"What are we supposed to do with them? Leave them here?" Amara said. "If we do that, then they'll just get turned back into Legion members!"

"We don't have anywhere to keep them." Priscilla said. "Our base is small, you know that. I'm sorry."

"I suppose we could at least put them in the room we were just in." Nathan said. And so, they shoved the unconcious members into the room and quickly shut the door.

"I'm _really_ glad we didn't wind up joining the Ornatu Legion now." Serena said, angrily. "The Ornatu Legion members could go crazy at any minute, and Aeternus doesn't care!"

"Keep your voice down! The Holy Cross are probably still in the entrance, waiting for us." Priscilla said. "It's time we got moving. We don't want to keep Kyle waiting."

_One Hour Later_

"Phew, that was hard work." Amara said, wiping sweat from her brow. "If this works, then the Shadows will drop in numbers, right?"

"Yes, hopefully." Priscilla said, holding her sceptre in her hands. She wasn't particularly strong, but her Persona had impressive Bufu and Hama spells. Thus, some Shadows she could dispatch instantaneously. A number of Ornatu Legion members got in their way, but they fell easily. "I think we've done well. Now, we'll leave whenever Kyle gives the order."

So the team stood around in the NDD room, and Kyle's phone soon rang. "So, did it turn out alright?"

"Yes, it did. Thanks your help. Um, what happened with Blaine?" Amara asked.

"Oh...well, something big came up. I think it'd be better to tell you face-to-face." Kyle said. "Come on through. Oh, and well done." He hung up. Something bothered Amara about what Kyle said, but she didn't know what.

"Well, then, ladies first!" Nathan said, looking at Priscilla.

"Aww, you're still such a gentleman!" Priscilla said, giving Nathan a quick kiss. His face went as red as his hair. "Well, let's go!" Priscilla ran through the NDD, and just before Serena could go through, it turned off.

"What?" Serena screamed. "What just happened?"

"I don't know!" Amara said. "Give me a sec, I'll think of something." She looked at the NDD, but nothing seemed unusual. _Well, percussive maintenance probably won't do the trick..._

"Is there another way out?" Nathan asked. "I don't think we should risk the front entrance-"

"That's very wise. After all, you're surrounded no matter where you turn." said a familiar voice. _Alastair! _

Sure enough, the entire Holy Cross came in, with rather smug looks on their faces. "Looks like our little game worked!" Kazuya said, as Richard started laughing. "What are you laughing at, Richard?"

"Sorry, I was just remembering something from a book. Don't mind me!" Richard said, still trying to suppress a giggling fit.

"You idiot. I knew I shouldn't have bought you that Jewish joke book." Kazuya said, with a stony face.

"You must have thought you rebels had figured us out. Truth us, you haven't disabled power anywhere, except for this room. It just took longer to run out than we thought. Regardless, we have the three of you where we want you." Bianca said, her rapier at the ready. "You're all under arrest!"

"There's no reason to fear. You'll come to understand the Ornatu Legion, and become even greater. Our job is to bring justice to the Shadows and keep the peace of the citizens of our beautiful city! Are you telling me you don't want that?" Alastair said, taunting Amara.

"You..." she growled, but she was too tired to fight.

"This isn't good. What do we do now?" Nathan said, worried.

"It's not just the three of us, you know!" Serena yelled, as she whipped the ground in frustration. "Even if you losers took us, you'd never be able to beat the others!"

"So they can beat the Holy Cross. Big deal. That doesn't mean a damn thing." said another voice, as another person came up behind them.

_What? That voice! _

Amara, Nathan and Serena's jaws dropped at the sight of the tall man who towered over each of the Holy Cross. Clad in a red and black military outfit, and holding a black pistol in his hand, there was no mistaking it. Even with the numerous scars on his face, the strange visor device covering his right eye, and his slightly greyer hair, it was definitely...

"Blaine?" Serena screamed.

"How do you know my name?" he said. "You fucking idiots! I thought I told you to _never_tell anyone my name!"

"Um, but we didn't, sir." Kazuya said, his eyes avoiding the other Blaine's. The others looked uncomfortable, and kept quiet.

"I expect a full explanation later, you dipshits. Miyazaki, shut up for now. That goes for the rest of you too." The other Blaine said, with a furious expression. When he stared more closely at Serena, Nathan and Amara, his face screwed up in utter confusion.

"What are you looking at us like that for?" Amara said. "Wait a minute! You killed my father -"

"And mine!" Nathan shouted. Serena wanted to say something, but she couldn't find the right words. Yet, the other Blaine seemed to realise something…

"What the fuck is this?" he roared. "How the _hell _did you morons not know who these guys were?"

"Um...we...didn't...know what to say! Right, guys?" Alastair said, and the rest of the Holy Cross could only nod. "I mean, this Amara doesn't even have a scar!"

"You can go back to shutting the hell up." Blaine said, pointing his gun at Alastair's head. Alastair gulped, and turned away. "This doesn't make any sense. There's no way you could get rid of that scar, not after what happened!"

"Quiet!" Amara screamed. "I'm not letting you capture us! Come on, Hathor!" Hathor emerged, much to the other Blaine's astonishment.

"Hathor? That isn't your Persona! It's Sekhmet" he said. "Not Hathor." _So he gave the other me that scar after all? I'll have to ask her about that...if we can get out of here alive._

"Amara, what are you doing?" Serena said. "We can't beat him!"

"We don't know that! I can't let this guy get away with killing my dad! And he destroyed Kanaloa, too!" Amara shouted, the hatred welling up in her eyes. The other Blaine looked horrified at the mention of this, and he stood there in silence.

"That's - enough! You guys are nothing!" And his Persona appeared, in a furious blue burst of energy.

"Tlaloc!" Serena said, as Nathan gasped. The Persona was indeed Tlaloc, yet with some changes. He had red eyes instead of blue, and he had a large golden headdress with many colourful feathers on top. He had light green tattoos instead of dark blue, and there was something more primal about the way he held his hammer.

"As expected. Come forth, Setanta!" Nathan called, as Setanta appeared. Serena called upon Artemis, and the Other Blaine recoiled in shock. He seemed to recognise their Personas.

"Setanta? Artemis?" he yelled. "This can't be right. You're not the ones I know!"

"Shut up already! This is for Dad!" Nathan yelled. Setanta sent forth a Garula spell, which didn't seem to faze the other Blaine very much.

"Commander!" Bianca stepped forward. "I'll help you -"

"You know damn well I've never needed help. Stay back." The Other Blaine said. Serena took the opportunity to strike him with her whip, but he effortlessly jumped away. "Don't try it, Serena!"

"Uh...Aques!" Artemis hit the Other Blaine with her water spell, and this had much more of an effect. "Alright, this Blaine's weak to water too!"

"What the hell do you mean by that?" Other Blaine said, confused. "The hell?"

"_Die_!" Amara yelled, as she called upon Hathor to strike with Agilao. Despite the fire in her heart, it did next to nothing to Other Blaine.

"It's just like I told you! You'll never beat the Commander!" Kazuya chided.

"I thought I told you to shut up!" The other Blaine said, and Kazuya gulped. "I might as well end this in one strike. Tlaloc, show them the Black Lightning!" _What? He's going to use his motorcycle against us? _Amara thought - but even that would have been preferable to the assault that would commence.

Tlaloc held his hammer aloft, and with a single flash, black thunder bolts hit everyone, with more force than anything Amara had ever seen, and she felt herself hit the ground before the pain set in.

"Argh! Kyle..." Serena managed to say before passing out.

"I'm sorry, Priscilla..." Nathan said, as he soon lost consciousness. Amara couldn't move an inch, but she heard the entire Holy Cross gasp, and the other Blaine snapped at them. _Stop...just let me die here. Philemon, I failed you. Forgive me...  
_

"You should have known better than to mess with me. Now, you're coming with - what?" he suddenly looked alarmed, as the ground started shaking. Amara closed her eyes, awaiting the inevitable, and felt her body falling again.

_Beneath the Tower_

"Amara, wake up!" Serena said, shaking Amara's body.

"Ngh..." Amara woke up, still in pain. "Oww! My body aches... What happened?"

"Well, we're beneath the tower. We wound up in the underground power network." Nathan said, as he looked around at the red metal walls and floors. It seemed like all the corridors leading from this round room were like pipes.

"It'll be okay. Here." Serena said, as she cast Media on the three of them.

"Thanks. Where's Blaine?" Amara asked, recovering.

"I'm right here." said a voice from behind her. "The NDD's here aren't working. Looks like you **did** manage to screw up the power system somehow."

"Not that it makes a difference now." Amara said, looking down. "Guys, I'm sorry! This was all my fault!"

"Amara..." Nathan said.

"Looks like I'll have to take you to headquarters the hard way. You three follow me." the Other Blaine said. Just then, his mobile rang. "What _now_, Alastair?"

"Is everything alright down there?" Alastair said, sounding concerned.

"Yes, no one died. Now shut up and leave me alone." he said, hanging up before Alastair could respond. "I'm not dealing with them right now. Now c'mon, follow me!"

"Okay, okay. Lead the way, Commander." Serena said, sulking. The three of them followed the commander. Amara couldn't tell what the others were thinking, but they looked white with fright. She felt scared herself - what if she never saw Stella again? She'd never get to see the first issue on sale, and Karen would have to find someone else to take her place. She'd never get to go to Farawell's bars again. And worst of all she would never see her father ever again. Amara started shaking, and even Nathan's sympathetic stare didn't help.

The three of them walked in silence, through the empty red tunnels. It might as well have been hell.

_Secret Base_

"Damn." Kyle said, throwing his phone on the floor. "I can't get through! Priscilla, are you _sure_ everything was alright when you went through?"

"Yes, Kyle, you asked me that seven times already!" she snapped. "What are we supposed to do now?"

"Perhaps Sir Blaine was right, in that it was a trap, designed to lure them into a false sense of security." Seraphina said. "Give me some time. I'm sure I can find their location."

"Why did he want to look up a map of the power network, anyway?" Aimee said. "And his other self is the Commander..."

"Yeah. Why do you think I didn't want to meet him?" Dan said, in a bad mood. "I dunno what he's thinking, but-"

"Everyone, listen!" Seraphina said, alarmed. "Hecate found them. We must depart, with haste!"

_Power Tunnels_

As the four of them walked ahead, Amara kept trying to think of something to say that would lighten the mood. Yet, nothing came to mind. If they died here, no one in their world would know...

"Shadows!" Nathan shouted. In front of them were a different variety of the blob monsters, wearing weird green masks. "Are those the basic model?"

"Yeah, that's the term Archibald used. They create them and modify them to whatever they want. You just let me deal with them." Other Blaine said, and Tlaloc pulverised them with electricity instantly. "Heh…none of these guys can lost more than one hit."

"Uh…cool." Serena said. "Are there more Shadows around here?"

"You kidding? The motherfuckers are everywhere! They're powering the whole city!" the other Blaine said, looking on ahead. "Let's cut the crap and talk. Your names are Amara Furaha, Serena Agnethe, and Nathan Albion, correct?"

"Yes, those are our names. It seems that...um...we've experienced memory loss!" Nathan said. His hastily thought-up excuse was welcomed with a loud smack to the face. "Oww!"

"Don't talk shit. You and Amara look too different from recent records to be the ones we're after. And Serena, she's not the same one. Not only that, you couldn't last more than one hit, yet Amara gave me most of these scars. So what's going on? Answer me, dammit!" he snapped, pointing his gun at their faces.

"Alright, just don't hurt us! Put that thing away!" Amara yelled. "We're from another dimension, where there are no Shadows in our city!"

"What?" he said. "That's bullshit!"

"No, it's true. Me and Nathan already met our other selves!" Amara said. "You killed our parents over here, didn't you?"

"And what about me? What did you do to me?" Serena yelled.

"Stop. Just...fucking...stop." Blaine said, lowering his gun. "Even if that were true, I didn't kill them -"

"Oh, and we're supposed to trust you? You're just a megalomaniac! A bastard who killed everyone in his town for power! Your best friend's brother died thanks to you!" Nathan yelled. The Other Blaine, who looked like he was on the verge of tears, grabbed Nathan and pointed his gun at him.

"_Shut the hell up_!" he screamed. "You don't know anything at all! You say one more word, and I'll kill you!"

"Then what did happen to our parents?" Amara asked. Serena looked away, and Nathan was absolutely petrified.

"You three just keep following me, and I'll show you." the other Blaine said. "If you're lucky, I might be able to let you go back." he dropped Nathan to the ground, and Serena ran over to help him up.

"Ugh. What now?" Amara asked as quietly as she could, as they followed the Commander.

"I don't know, but if Blaine finds out, he'll go crazy!" Nathan whispered.

"You think he stayed because he figured it out?" Serena said.

"Probably." Amara said. "It explains Dan's reaction."

"Poor guy. If only we could tell Aimee and the others what was going on." Serena said.

**Lady Amara! Sir Nathan! Lady Serena! Can you all hear me?**

The three of them gasped, but didn't say a word. It was Seraphina's voice, speaking directly into their minds.

**Please, do not say a word! It was an uphill struggle, but I finally uncovered your location! Please, follow the Commander for the time being! I promise we shall not let him abduct you!**

Although the three of them didn't say it, they were relieved. Now Aimee and the others were coming to rescue them! _Seraphina, thank you!_ Amara thought, wiping away a tear. Thanks to her, she could go home tonight. Serena and Nathan must have felt the same way…

_Tunnel's End_

"We're finally here. God, I hate this place." the Other Blaine said. "I need to ask you some more about this other world stuff. What do you guys do over there?"

"I'm an illustrator for a magazine!" Amara said.

"I work for my father's company. You should know which company that is." Nathan said, looking away.

"I go to Lucille Valley High School." Serena said, eyes to the ground. "Hey, how do you know me?"

"That's what I wanted to ask you. You knew who I was, and you recognised my Persona. And there's a fourth member in your team, right?" the Other Blaine asked.

"Yes." Amara said, and she felt a shiver down her spine.

"Then who is it? Come on, tell me!" he asked. Just then, there were a lot of footsteps from behind a steel door.

"Huh?" Serena said.

"What the hell? Is that a Shadow?" the Other Blaine asked, getting his gun ready. "You three stay back!" Just as he was about to summon his Persona…the door tore down, and behind it was Tlaloc, holding his hammer.

"Huh?" Serena couldn't believe it. "Blaine!"

"Sorry I'm late, but I had a feeling something like this was gonna happen. You guys need to learn when to spot a trap better." Blaine stepped forward, but he froze on the spot as she saw the other self. "It's true..."

"Yeah..." Amara said.

"The Commander is...Blaine Spencer." Nathan said.

"You bastard! What the hell were you thinking?" Blaine looked hysterical, whilst the Other Blaine just stared. "You sick freak! How can I be the one who destroyed Kanaloa? Why the hell did you join Aeternus?"

"I..." the Other Blaine mumbled, looking at the ground. "I didn't have a choice."

"Like **hell** you didn't! I started to have my doubts when I saw the way those Holy Cross idiots looked at me, but Dan knew! Matthew's dead, and it's all my fault! Why?" Blaine was shaking, and the others just stood there, without any idea what to do.

"I know it's my fault! But...if you've met Dan...he's still alive." the Other Blaine said. "I have to see him-"

"You shut up! Dan is my best friend, and you - or I - betrayed him! I'm not letting that go!" Blaine summoned Tlaloc, and a supreme flow of energy surrounded him. The Other Blaine's Tlaloc emerged, also charged with a mysterious power.

**It is of great misfortune that my alter-ego would be so tormented by pain and suffering. Allow me to end that pain and grant you the stairway to redemption! **Blaine's Tlaloc said.

**You who share my image, I am beyond salvation. Ten years of darkness cannot be overturned. I have no choice but to destroy you, for the light shall never bless me again! **the other Tlaloc said.

"Zionga!" both Blaines screamed, and incredible bolt of lightning hit both of them. It was just like the Amaras…they could break each other's resistances.

"Amara, what do you want to do? Should we help?" Nathan asked.

"You remember what happened when we fought him before…let's just try and support Blaine!" Amara said. "Blaine, hold on! Rakukaja!" Hathor granted Blaine some defensive power, which reduced the power of the Other Blaine's gunshots.

"Makakaja!" Serena used a similar move, but this granted Blaine more magic power. "Nathan, come on!"

"I know, I know! Sukukaja!" Nathan's new spell raised Blaine's agility, and he took advantage of this by dodging a powerful Zionga spell.

"I didn't want to fight my other self, but if you won't let me explain, I don't have a choice!" the Other Blaine said. "Come forth, Black Lightning -"

Before he could attack, a ferocious looking Persona struck him from behind with a golden scythe. _Whoa! _It was a humanoid beast with a silver lion's head, with bloody horns, and long green feathers at either side. His body was covered with green stripes, and he had golden armour and jewellery, complete with a long cape that resembled a lion's mane.

"Don't tell me...Dan?" Serena said. As expected, Dan walked forward, armed with a white rifle, and the rest of the rebels came in.

"Everyone, you're okay!" Aimee said, relieved. "I'm sorry about this. We should have been more careful!"

"Serena, this is all my fault. I wasn't smart enough to figure it out." Kyle said, as he came over to Serena.

"Dan? Is that you?!" the Other Blaine said.

"I guess you weren't expecting to see me ever again, huh? Thought a Shadow would just get me and you wouldn't have to deal with me anymore?" Dan said, with the anger building up inside of him. "Guess what. That Persona thing? The cool power you had, and thought only you could do? Sure, you Well, I've got one too! So I'm not leaving until you're _dead_! This is for Matthew, you bastard!" Aiming his rifle at the Other Blaine's face, he was desperate to pull the trigger. It wouldn't kill him, but all Dan wanted to do was hurt him as much as he could.

"Dammit. Why did you have to get a Persona too!? If you're trying to fight Aeternus, you're wasting your time. You should have stayed out of this!" the Other Blaine said.

"There's no way I'd do that! I'm not a coward like you. You could have stood against them, but you just had to join them for power and fame...the kind you couldn't get from Kanaloa. Sure, you had to get rid of Matthew and all the other guys, but what good is my little brother compared to magic powers, right? You piece of shit! For all this time, I've been waiting, to finally be able to hurt you!" Dan roared. "**Tezcatlipoca**, kill him!"

Tezcatlipoca sent forth a Zionga spell of his own to hit the Other Blaine, but unlike with Blaine it didn't work.

"That's not going to work! Dan, stop!"

"Fuck, I should have known. I guess I'll have to try something else!" Dan motioned for Tezcatlipoca to cast a spell, and…a dark bloody aura surrounded the Other Blaine, who just stood there.

"What IS this - argh!" A massive concentration of dark energy built up, and with severe force, erupted, and for the first time, the Other Blaine was actually in pain. "The hell was that?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Dan asked, staring down at the other Blaine.

"Well, yeah, that's why I asked." he said. "Ten years and you're still using that line?"

"Shut up!" Dan said, and he fired at the Other Blaine, who stumbled to the ground.

"Amara, aren't you going to do anything?" Serena asked. "If we let Dan kill him, we won't be able to ask him about Aeternus!"

"I...don't know what to do!" Amara shouted. "I can't think straight right now!"

"Leave this one to me! Tlaloc, use all your power!" Blaine had completely lost control, and Tlaloc looked like he was under incredible strain. Yet…he seemed to be shrouded in a dark power, and Amara recognised the move immediately. Blaine had nothing but endless rage in his eyes, and his other self stood up.

"No...I'm not ready to die yet." he said. "I have to stop you all! If I don't, Aeternus will just enslave you as well..." His own Tlaloc started charging the exact same move.

"Wait, what is he going to do?" Kyle screamed.

"Hecate, protect us all!" Seraphina used Hecate to summon a barrier around everyone, but she was too late to cast one on Blaine. At that moment, each Black Lightning hit, and Amara was blinded with the flashes. The barrier took the many hits, but perished immediately afterwards. Amara closed her eyes, but the sound was deafening.

When Amara could finally see again, the area had been torn to shreds, with most of the metal walls covered in burn marks, if they hadn't already melted from the sheer heat or been blasted to pieces.

"Is everyone alright?" Aimee said, as she looked around. "Blaine!" Blaine was lying on the floor, bleeding, and unconscious. "Let's get out of here! Irene, Traesto!" Irene teleported everyone safely back to the base.

_Secret Base_

"I am truly sorry. There was not enough time to protect him as well." Seraphina said, anxious. "Lady Aimee, please save him!"

"I will." Aimee said, and she used her healing spells to awaken Blaine. "Thank goodness!"

"Dammit, that hurts. What happened, guys?" Blaine said, stirring. "I just remember lots of black flashes, and -"

"I'm glad you're safe!" Amara said, running over. "If you had died, I'd -"

"Hey, what's all this, now? It's only been a few days since we met, and you're all crying? I'm not dead yet, so lighten up!" Blaine said, smiling again. "I..."

"What happened to the Commander?" Priscilla asked. Seraphina shook her head.

"I do not know. The spirits are being enigmatic today. He vanished after the powerful storms collided, so…it is possible he perished." Seraphina said, disturbed.

"Nah, he's probably still out there. And he won't give up until he's got us as Ornatu Legion slaves." Dan said, falling onto a chair. "Shit! Ten years and I still didn't get a chance to kill him." Blaine's smile faltered, and Amara couldn't help but feel sorry for him. His other self was the Commander, a mass-murderer, and yet he was just a normal guy.

"Um...Blaine, despite all that's happened, please don't be discouraged. No matter what the others say, I want you on our side. I don't know what happened to your other self, but I honestly believe you're not the same!" Aimee said, holding Blaine's bloody hand.

"...C'mon guys, let's go home." Blaine said, and still unsteady, he stood up, and went through the NDD, accompanied by the others.

_Farawell_

"Blaine..." Serena said, as Nathan tried to support Blaine as they walked. "Thanks."

"What are you thanking me for?" Blaine said. "It's thank to my other self that Amara and Nathan's dads are dead, and Kanaloa got destroyed."

"That wasn't you!" Nathan said. "You're not him! I'm not the other Nathan, either! Whatever happened to the Blaine over there, I know you wouldn't do the same things!"

"I must be pretty pathetic if I've got you worrying about me, huh?" Blaine said, smiling a little.

"Yup. When I'm worrying about you, you know you've hit rock bottom!" Nathan said, a little happier himself.

"Let's just get you home for now." Amara said, deep in thought herself. "When we were in the tunnels, I thought we would never get back here…it's so good to be home!"

"I know! We should take a break for a couple of days. I need to focus on school stuff anyway." Serena said, exhausted. "You guys okay with that?"

"Fine with me!" Amara said, and the three of them managed to escort Blaine to the outskirts of Kanaloa, where he insisted he go alone. It was painful to watch him stagger into his house, but Amara wondered what he'd feel, seeing Dan acting all friendly. Would it be a relief, after meeting a Dan who wanted to kill him for what happened in the past?

Amara soon arrived home, and fell asleep the moment she lay down on her bed.


	19. Chapter 19: Blue Horizon

**Chapter 19: Blue Horizon**

It was another weekend for New Motus City, and after last night, Amara couldn't wait to hit the beach. Even if the summer break hasn't started yet, she couldn't wait to go into the water and cool down, and forget all about the other world's worries. Hitting the beach in Saragel was amazing, even if it got crowded during the summer.

Just then, she got a call. It was from Stella, which made this the first time she had been called by her.

"Hey Stella! What's up?"

"Are you busy today? I'm thinking of taking a break, and you're the only one at work I really talk to." she said. "The parlour's always quiet on a Saturday anyway."

"Oh, okay! I was gonna hit the beach, so you feel like that? You could probably use the sunshine!" Amara said, giggling. Stella's skin was remarkably pale, she had noticed.

"Haha! Yes, I suppose so. It's been quite some time." Stella said. "I'll give you some time to prepare, then. Let's meet at 11. I will see you there."

Amara smiled - this weekend was going to be great. Yet what would the others in the other world be up to? They probably didn't have much in the way of fun, considering the bizarre entities that plagued the streets. Still, there wasn't any point to making herself gloomy. Soon enough, they'd bring the fun back to that city!

_Saragel Beach_

The beach was crowded today, as was typical of a Saturday in June. Sparkling blue water, golden sand, and tasty ice cream all around, it drew the people in like moths to the flame. Amara was wearing her favourite purple and white striped bikini underneath a pair of white shorts and a red top. She walked through the sand, trying to locate Stella, and eventually saw the elusive psychic by the sun loungers.

"Ah, there you are! You look great!" Amara said, giving a thumbs up. Stella wasn't wearing her turban, and had a fetching black bikini with a purple star pattern on it.

"Do you honestly think so? I think you look better in your outfit..." Stella said, blushing. Amara looked at both her own body and Stella's, and couldn't quite tell if she was right or not. Perhaps Stella was a bit thin, but she was quite tall as well.

"Come on, Stella, take a compliment for once. Life's too short to be modest!" Amara said, as she sat down on her sun bed. The two women began applying their sun cream, already feeling the heat from the sun's rays. Lying there underneath the parasol, all her worries about Shadows and Personas were evaporating already.

"So, do you come here a lot?" Stella asked.

"Yeah, but it's been a while. How about you?" Amara asked.

"Well, not for a long time." Stella said, adjusting her sunglasses.

"Oh. This is the first time since I broke up with Karl." Amara said.

"I see. To be honest, I've never had a boyfriend, so I've never been to places like this with another man." Stella said. Amara started to get curious. What kind of life did Stella have before she started work on Real People? If she could find out more, maybe she could understand Seraphina too.

"Ah. Well, everything was okay with me and Karl at first. He was in the soccer team in Saragel. Still is, as far as I can tell, but I haven't been checking. Then he started to get clingy, and really protective. It was getting on my nerves. When I told him it was over..." Amara said, thinking back. "He didn't say anything. He just stood there, and after a while, he just walked away...but I thought I saw his eyes welling up."

"That must have been hard for you. However, you will see him again. That, I know of. I sense a reunion." Stella said. Amara sighed - if Karl was at the beach today, how would she get away from him? With all the Shadow stuff, she had more important things to deal with. Besides, enjoying the sunny spell was her priority today. Although she wanted to call Blaine to check if he was okay later on.

"Come on, I don't need to see him again! Enough about me! I wanna hear about you! You said you were going to tell me about the name Seraphina, and you never did!" Amara said. "So c'mon, details!"

"Alright. I can tell you a few things. Stella is _not_ my real name. Rather, it is my mother's name." Stella said. "I prefer not to use my real name. At all."

"Why?" Amara said, with a mock pout. "I won't tell anyone!"

"No it's a risk I can't take. As for Seraphina, she is a...friend of my mother's. A lovely lady." Stella said, and she seemed nervous now.

"Why do you look so anxious?"

"I can't say. I'd rather no one finds out my old name. With this name, I am no longer the person I once was." Stella said, staring into the sky. "I imagine everyone's forgotten the old me anyway."

"Well, okay then. So who's Cleon?" Amara asked. "Don't tell me, another friend of your mother's?"

"Haha!" Stella seemed to find this amusing, much to Amara's surprise. "Sorry. No, Cleon was a comic book character I liked growing up. She was awesome! She could see the future and save people, and she looked so cool!"

Amara just smiled as Stella gushed about the adventures of 'Cleon the Wonder Star', which actually rang a few bells. One of her friends used to love that comic, but she couldn't remember which one. "Well, shall I get my Wonder Star some ice cream?" Amara asked.

"Of course you shall! As long as it's not vanilla." Stella said, relaxing again. Amara started walking over to the kiosk, daydreaming about the Shadow world again. Last night was intense, but she had recovered from the Black Lightning attack the Other Blaine had used. If they fought him again, would the others be able to rescue them?

"Agh!" Out of nowhere, Amara bumped into someone, and crashed into the sand. Which considering the heat, was not a pleasant experience.

"Oww. You okay, doll?" the man she bumped into said. He was a rather handsome young man, around Amara's age. He had a youthful, innocent face, with short hair as blue as the ocean, and shining eyes that matched his hair's hue.

"Yeah, I'll be alright." Amara said, as the man helped her up. "Wait a second! I've seen you before! You're that guy who was fishing the other night!"

"Holy cow! You remembered me! _Awesome_! I remembered you too, of course. You were looking pretty good that night." the man said, winking, and Amara couldn't help but blush. "I don't normally fish here. I'm normally at Legarte harbour. Trust me, the fish there are so much tastier!"

"Haha! Yeah, I can imagine." Amara said. When she first saw him, she felt a connection. She had dismissed it as a silly crush. Now here she was, actually speaking to him. She hadn't been expecting this at all, but it felt great. She could feel herself blush, and quickly tried to stop it, but to no avail. "Oh! I'm Amara Furaha!"

"Oh, you're still talking to me after I bring up fishing? That's different than normal. You're alright, Miss Amara. I'm Zao Yuria." Zao said, grinning. There was something irresistible about Zao's smile. He looked so carefree, without any troubles in the world. She couldn't help but smile too, and she hoped Zao was just as happy to see her. "So what's a fine lady like you doing on the beach all alone?"

"You try that line with all the girls?" Amara asked, and Zao laughed a little. She felt she could relax around this Zao, who seemed like a pretty easy-going fellow. "I'm just here with my friend!"

"Oh, a friend? You ought to be careful, then. I've seen a lot of creepy muscleheads around trying to pick up chicks on the beach. I get the feeling you can handle them, though. Sorry, I really need to get going." Zao said.

"That's okay. I'll probably see you another time." Amara said. Truthfully, she was disappointed. This Zao seemed so decent, and she really wanted to meet him again.

"Hey, don't look so disappointed!" _Whoa! He could tell? Come on, Amara, don't look too desperate! _"This might be a bit bold, but can we meet up later?" Zao suddenly said. "We can talk more when I'm not busy!"

"Sure! It might be fun." Amara said, and she eagerly gave him her number. "This feels like a song, doesn't it?"

"It does! But I'm not going to call you maybe. I'll call you definitely!" Zao said, winking again, and he ran off. Amara couldn't tear her eyes away. This Zao was something different. He wasn't serious like Karl at all, but he was rather carefree and energetic. Finally going to get the ice creams, she couldn't wait to tell Stella all about her encounter. Maybe Stella could tell her what to wear!

_Kanaloa, Blaine and Dan's House_

"Goddamn, you've been lyin' on the sofa since you got back! What's happening, man?" Dan asked, as Blaine finally woke up.

"I dunno. Guess I was tired from working all week. I'll be okay, I guess." Blaine said.

"You've been _weird_ this week. C'mon, let's go out with Roger tonight! It's been ages since we heard from him." Dan said. "Anyway, I have to go in today. One of the guys called off sick."

"Is it the same guy who thought he saw God outside his house and called the police on him?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah, but he was high that night. Bath salts are _scary _shit." Dan said, thinking for a bit. "Oh, you got a phone call. Some guy called Nathan wanted you to call him back. Sounded like a rich prick to me. All 'Sorry to bother you, sir', and stuff."

"Ah, he's just some guy I met one night. I'll call him later." Blaine said, surprised. Why Nathan, and not one of the girls? After waiting for Dan to leave - which took a while, as Dan had forgotten his keys were in the door - he finally rang Nathan's cell.

"Oh, there you are. I spoke to a Daniel Kingsley earlier, but I don't get the impression he liked me very much." Nathan said awkwardly.

"Don't worry about it, I'll deal with him. What'd he say?" Blaine said. Dan didn't act very friendly to total strangers, especially after Matthew's death.

"Uh, he just kept asking tons of questions, wondering how I knew you. He could probably tell I'm from Nova Albion." Nathan said, and Blaine had to admit, even across the phone Nathan did sound rather sophisticated. "Anyway, about last night. Are you okay?"

"Well, to be honest, no." Blaine said, looking down. "I mean, I can handle the whole evil counterpart thing, but who's gonna trust me now? The Dan over there's never gonna want me to come back, the others are gonna think I'm gonna double cross them, and the other me killed the other you's dad!"

"Ah. I had a feeling you would talk like that." Nathan said, sighing. "Listen. You're not the same as the other you. I don't know what happened to him, but I know _you_ wouldn't do that."

"What, are you trying to cheer me up?" Blaine asked. "I thought you thought I was common as muck, or whatever you guys say…"

"Well, I won't lie, I do talk like that! Still, I like to think you're not all that bad, compared to the other Kanaloans I've come across." Nathan said. "Besides, what good will you be in a fight if you're all gloomy?"

"Ah, that's what it is. Don't worry, Nathan, I'll be kickin' ass soon enough. Then you can sit back and let a real man do the fighting!" Blaine said, laughing.

"I don't think Kyle counts." Nathan said, and the two men laughed for quite a while. "Well, that's all I had to say. I don't think the others will want to go in the other world today, so just enjoy the weekend! Bye." Nathan said, hanging up. Blaine wasn't sure what to think. Was he actually getting on with Nathan after all? He'd never liked any rich people he came across. Or had he? He was sure his late father had a somewhat wealthy friend, but that was a long time ago.

Bored of sitting at home all day, Blaine finally got outside, and fired up the Black Lightning once more. It probably wouldn't be long before he'd fight his other self again, so he had to chill out before that happened.

_Kyle's House_

"Gee, it sure is _boring_ around here!" Kyle said at his computer, with a wide grin. Serena groaned.

"Kyle, you said you'd stop doing that!"

"Aww, come on, it's been ages since I last said it. Fine, I'll stop it! For now." Kyle said, as he browsed through his anime collection online.

"So what's this anime called again?" Serena asked, as she sat on the blue bed, with numerous anime and comic posters all over the bedroom walls.

"Devil Children!" Kyle said, grinning. "It's about these kids who learn they're half-demon, so they go to the demon world Makai to save the human world!"

"Oh, right! Wait, if they're half demon, why do they just look human?" Serena asked, staring at the somewhat generic silver haired boy and his brunette companion.

"I guess, they just inherited the magic powers? Or maybe they turn into demons. I know they can summon them, and stuff. I guess they didn't think of focusing on the furry audience." Kyle shrugged, and started to steam the first episode. Serena and Kyle found it mildly interesting, even though the subs they found weren't very well done. Although they burst out laughing at some of the more ludicrous captions…

"That was okay." Serena said. "C'mon, let's watch something else!"

"Sure." Kyle said, looking up more titles on his account to watch. "Hey, Serena, did we ever go to a basement?"

"No...why?" Serena said, alarmed.

"No reason, I just remember me looking at a computer and you giving me pretzels. Weird." Kyle said, deep in thought. "Maybe I've been watching too much of this stuff."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Remember when you thought I was Sailor Moon?" Serena said. "Then again, it was like 2 o'clock in the morning and I was cosplaying!"

"Haha! Don't look so worried. Let's watch Polar Bear Café now!" Kyle said, cheerfully. Serena couldn't help but worry. How did Kyle remember something his other self did? Was it dangerous to spend time with the other Kyle? Serena tried to think of them as different people, but it was hard.

She shrugged it off and relaxed, as she helped Kyle lie on the bed. This was just going to be another day where the two of them watched shows together, forgetting the week before.

"Maware Merry-Go-Round, mekuru meku FYUUCHAA-"

"Kyle, stop singing that damn theme song!"

_Nathan and Priscilla's House_

Nathan had just left the house for a phone call, which was unusual. Even for business calls, he never left the room, let alone the house. Maybe Nathan had to go somewhere, but Priscilla couldn't help but get suspicious. Still, she was going to spend the afternoon with Tara, who wanted to get a new outfit for the grand debut at the orchestra, so she tried to ignore it.

Suddenly, her mobile rang. It was Nathan's father, technically her boss, but she always referred to him as Reg. "Hello, Reg! Missing us already?" Priscilla said, cheery.

"Good morning, Priscilla." Reginald Albion said. He was a rather formal man, ever since the day Nathan first introduced her to him. Of course, after Nathan's mother died last year, he was even more serious and grim that before.

"So how are you? You're normally quiet over the weekends." Priscilla said.

"Ah, well...there's something I need to talk to you about. You're not to say a word of this to Nathan, alright?" Reginald said. Priscilla gulped - Reginald had never done this before. What was she to do?

"Okay, whatever you say."

"I'm going to retire soon." Priscilla gasped - despite being well into his sixties, Reginald had never slowed down, and loved his work. Priscilla did notice he lost his enthusiasm last year, but, she and Nathan were hoping he'd pick up.

"Are you serious? But-"

"I don't have the heart to do this anymore. If things go on like this, I'm going to fall asleep on that desk and never wake up." Reginald said. Priscilla looked down, not sure what to say.

"But Reginald, are you sure Nathan's ready? I know he works hard as it is, but -" Priscilla said, worried. Nathan and her had been together for so long, but he was determined to get all his work done, resulting in many sleepless nights. And he seemed preoccupied with other people. For example, this 'Blaine' she heard him grumbling about, or someone called 'Amara'.

"I know he is. It's time for my son to take the reigns. But he won't do it if I ask him. He's too naïve! He thinks I should run it for as long as possible." Reginald said. Priscilla wanted to say he was wrong, but deep down, she knew he wasn't. Working at the company gave Nathan a great sense of pride, and she knew he'd rather die than leave Albion Incorporated.

"So what you want me to do is convince him to ask you to take over the company?" Priscilla asked. "I'm not sure if I can do that."

"Priscilla, of course you can. That boy's crazy about you, but you'd know that by now." Reginald said. "Listen. I'll be going now. I want to see him in charge when I'm still alive. I need to know he'll take care of everything for me. Then I think I'll able to face her again." Reginald hung up, and Priscilla just stood there.

"Nathan, please don't hate me for this." Priscilla said, staring out the window. Nathan was walking somewhere, and she still had to meet Tara. "Maybe she can help me. Adrian too." she said. She had to do this right, for Nathan and Reginald's sake.

_Saragel Beach_

"Are you alright? You've been staring into space ever since you got back from getting the ice cream. By the way, kiwi flavour was a great choice." Stella said, as the two of them walked towards the sea. "Oh, it's Zao again! I did sense you'd meet someone new...someone special."

"You did? Why didn't you tell me? I could have said something to him!" Amara said.

"Well, if you anticipated a new man in your life, you'd start to suspect everyone. Even the guy over there selling sunglasses." Stella said, as she felt the water touch her feet. "Ooh, that's cold."

"Thing is, I saw him before. Remember, when we went to Cocoa Harbour together? I saw him after you left, and he saw me!" Amara said, dreamily.

"Oh! Well, that instant attraction is a wonderful thing. To start the relationship with such a spark - magnificent!" Stella said. "Well, you haven't been on a date with him yet, so -"

"Take it easy! I'm just hoping he isn't hiding any dark secrets. Like he's part of some weird fishing mafia!" Amara said - and the two women laughed at what she just said. "Okay, I actually want to meet someone doing that. Then I'll sound psychic, too."

"My psychic powers don't exist for comedy purposes. Perhaps I should be more light hearted with them, though." Stella said. "So, are we going to swim?"

"Yeah! Race you!" but Stella had already ran into the sea, swimming at a remarkable pace. "Hey, wait up!" Amara laughed, as she followed suit. Try as she might, she just couldn't catch up, and the water was absolutely freezing. Amara had never been fond of the cold, and the winter was her least favourite season.

Yes, after last night's drama, today was truly something special. Would Zao, the young fisherman, be the man of her dreams at last? She didn't know, but she had to give it a chance. After all, in the other world, Amara probably would never had met Zao. Finally adjusting to the cold, she gave chase to a laughing Stella. "Didn't foresee this, did you?" she called out, as she splashed her psychic friend.

_Other World, Saragel_

It was late at night, and Kyle decided to investigate Lorean Tower by himself. Most of the others wanted an early night, but Dan was out to The Mole as usual. He promised he'd be back early, but Kyle had his doubts. Something had been bothering him all day. He wanted to hum a catchy tune, but he couldn't remember where the tune came from. Must have been some song he heard in an old TV show, or so he thought.

Lorean Tower was quiet, compared to the chaos last night. A number of Ornatu Legion guards were outside as normal, but Kyle was out of sight. The Holy Cross weren't seen either. "Looks like the Commander isn't here tonight." Kyle said. There hadn't been an official announcement about the showdown in the power tunnels, but presumably the other Blaine was in the Aeternus headquarters, with the Holy Cross.

"This is boring. I'm out of here." Just as Kyle was about to turn back, something odd happened. The Legion guards were suddenly hit by massive bolts of lightning.

"What the hell?" Kyle shouted. If it was Commander Blaine, why would he be attacking his own men? And if it was the Blaine from the other world, why would he just attack without asking Aimee and the others?

Worried, Kyle started to leave the area - but suddenly, someone grabbed him from behind. "Hey! Lemme go!" Just then, someone put a rag over his mouth. _Chloroform!?_

"Just relax." a female voice said. It sounded so familiar. Before he fell unconscious, he was able to say their name.

"Serena..."


	20. Chapter 20: Desperate Rescue

**Chapter 20: Desperate Rescue**

_Unknown Place_

"Ugh..." Kyle said, coming too. He remembered being at Lorean Tower, but someone had tried to knock him out. He had absolutely no idea where he was. "What the hell happened? Aimee? Seraphina? Priscilla? Dan?" He was lying on a cold hard bed, and he couldn't see his wheelchair anywhere.

"Oh, you're awake." a male voice said. Kyle looked up, and saw two people staring at him. He looked to the left, and saw a tall man. His greying brown hair, scary brown eyes and his many scars on his face didn't hide his identity. It was none other than the Commander - Blaine Spencer.

"_Argh_!" Kyle screamed. Not only was the Commander standing over him, so was a girl with blonde hair in a bob cut, and green eyes. Serena. Yet it wasn't the one he knew. This must have been the other Serena, thought to have been killed. However, she was here, with the one responsible for her 'death' right next to her.

"Kyle, relax. You're going to be fine. Just calm down." Other Serena said, holding his hand. Kyle wanted to get outside, but there wasn't any way he could. _Where's my wheelchair? Dan, save me! _The Other Blaine just sighed, and Kyle desperately fumbled in his coat pockets, but his phone was missing. _Shit! Seraphina, help!_

"Settle down, for fuck's sake! Will you just do as she says?" Other Blaine roared, slamming his fist on the bed. Kyle stopped moving, but his heart was pounding in his ears. "Now, listen! You're going to call the others at your base, and tell them exactly what I tell you to. Get it wrong, and you might not be able to use _any_ of your limbs."

Kyle gulped, and felt his phone being thrusted into his sweaty palm.

"A-Alright."

_Secret Base, Sunday 14:00pm_

The four heroes had agreed to come earlier than usual today, simply so they could have the night to themselves. Amara was hoping just to spend some time training, yet whenever they did, something bad happened. Maybe this time, the Holy Cross would start a Christian Rock band and try to kill them with preachy music!

"Oh. It's you guys." Dan said curtly, immediately sneering at Blaine. Blaine looked away, unsure what to do.

"Dan! Oh, forget it. Good to see you guys!" Priscilla said, bowing. "What's new with you?"

"Well, Amara's got a date with some fisherman guy tomorrow!" Serena said, giggling.

"Oh, really? Good luck, then!" Aimee said, smiling. However, she suddenly turned serious. "I have bad news. Kyle went out last night, and he hasn't come back!"

Serena gasped. "What? Where did he go?"

"The fated tower of power distribution, Lorean." Seraphina said. She was focusing on Amara, for some odd reason. "All I know is that he was there one minute, and very quickly disappeared from the area. I'm facing a formidable challenge in trying to locate him, as well."

"Hold on." Aimee said, as her phone rang. "Oh, thank god, it's him! Hello Kyle, where are you?"

"Um...the Harbour. I really lost track of time and I think my wheelchair's broken. Yeah. So can someone come and get me?" Kyle said. Serena looked anxious, and Amara had a bad feeling herself. "Hurry up, it's really cold!"

"Alright, we'll be there!" Aimee said, as Kyle hung up. "That's strange, Kyle's never lost track of time that badly before."

"Hmm." Dan frowned. "It's not like him at all. Little brat, getting me worried. We'll have to punish him for this."

"Aww, I think it's cute when he gets focused on his work!" Priscilla said, but she didn't sound convinced. "So, who's going to the harbour?"

"Let me think." Aimee said. "Perhaps you four, if you're up to it. The harbour can get really crowded with Shadows some days, but we did a massive clean up of that area a few weeks back, so it should be quieter today!"

"Well, okay." Amara said. "As long as the Holy Cross don't trick us again. Wait. what if it IS another trap?"

"Leave that to me, Lady Amara." Seraphina said. "I shall be able to foresee any attempted rouses that bar your path!"

"Great, then let's go!" Blaine said. "Let's find this kid. He should know better than to make the grown-ups worry. Just like Matthew." Dan immediately looked up, and looked like he was going to murder Blaine with his bare hands. Before he could say anything, Blaine quickly went through the NDD with the others.

_Harbour, Right Side  
_

"Strange. I don't see anyone." Nathan said, as the four of them left the storage facility at the harbour. They looked around, and Amara realised they were at the right side of the harbour The usually bustling harbour of Legarte was completely void of life, and it was the first time the four had been close to the huge insurmountable barrier that completely blocked the city. The water looked oddly dark, and there wasn't a single fish in there at all.

"What the fuck? We got tricked _again_?" Blaine said, grimacing at the sheets of metal covering the city. "I can't see a damn thing!"

"Let's check the left side. There's nothing here." Amara said, ignoring what looked suspiciously like pieces of bone by rotting barrels. There was an old dog collar near them, and she felt like she was going to be sick. At this point, she wondered. What was Zao doing in this world? Without anything to do at the harbour, was he just hiding away from the Shadows? Or had he become one of their victims?

She though back to the afternoon, where she got a call from an excitable Zao. He immediately asked her out for dinner, and without giving her a chance to answer, went on to speak avidly about the Mussel Inn. Clearly, it was his favourite restaurant in the city, and even though Amara didn't need persuading, he begged and begged to the point where Lucy gave her a suspicious look. His squeal of joy as she said yes still echoed in her ears, and she was looking forward to it a lot.

"Amara, are you coming?" Serena asked.

"Yeah, of course I am. I was just thinking about Zao, that's all." Amara said.

"Now now, we can't have our leader distracted by love at first sight, can we?" Blaine teased.

"Stop it! We're not in love yet! Well, maybe...oh come on! Let's hurry up and find Kyle!" Amara said.

_Harbour, Left Side_

The Harbour was split into two sides, with the mighty river crossing through the district. On the left, Amara felt a strange sensation through her body.

"Wait, do you feel something?" Amara asked the others.

"Yeah! I think it's Shadows! But where are they?" Serena looked around, but didn't see Kyle anywhere. "Oh god, tell me they didn't get him -"

Then, all of a suddenly, a dark circle appeared on the ground, and a number of weak Shadows - known as Mayas - started appearing out of nowhere and entered the circle. One giant green mask appeared, and the dark bodies fused to create an absolutely horrifying bloody clock with the mask in the centre, with Shadowy hands in place of clock hands. Instead of numbers were strange abbreviations. For example, MAG instead of 1, PRI instead of 2, etc.

"What a freak of nature..." Blaine said.

"I can't think of a good time pun. Anyone else got one?" Blaine asked.

"Save the puns for later! We have to find Kyle!" Serena yelled, whip at the ready. Amara and Nathan drew their weapons, and braced themselves for the Clock's Maragi attack. It's hands moved, one pointing towards Fortune and one towards Empress. It cast a Magaru spell, and the blades of air struck Amara with much velocity.

"Zio!" Blaine summoned electricity to blast the clock Shadow, and it seemed to hurt it a bit. However, it quickly healed itself with a Dia spell. "These guys are getting smarter...about time. I've been waiting for a real challenge."

Serena hit the clock with her whip, and Nathan used Setanta to hurl his spear at the Shadow. Amara prepared a Flare Hail spell, but strange distortions in the air struck her and the others.

"Oh god! What was that?" Nathan said.

"Wait, it's changing it's hands again!" Serena said. The hands had moved to Strength and Chariot. "Be careful! It's planning something weird!"

Amara raised her sword, unsure what the enemy was preparing next.

_Unknown Place_

"Now that they're off track, we shouldn't disturbed." Other Blaine said, as Kyle simply stared in fearful silence. "Now, I need you to answer some questions, about your friends."

"Like what?" Kyle said, meekly.

"Let's start with Dan. Tell me how you met him." Other Blaine asked, indignantly.

"Okay…" Kyle said. "I was at The Mole to get parts for a Shadow generator, when a drunk man started bothering me. He was completely out of it, and thought I was someone called 'Matthew'. You know, his brother that you - um - "

"Don't you fucking dare say it, kid!" Other Blaine said. Kyle noticed Other Serena was missing, but even if she was here, would she be any help? "Fine, it _is_ my fault. I didn't want to blow up Kanaloa, but I did, and look what happened. My best friend, his brother, my home, everything gone."

"I know. He spent eight years in that bar, getting wasted, so he could forget." Kyle said. "It was that night he found his Persona, and I think he said something like 'Now I can hurt him'. Now I know what he was talking about." _Dan, you're coming to help me. Right? I need you! This guy's gonna kill me! _

"Dan tried to kill me when Kanaloa got destroyed. Even then, I had Tlaloc, and I thought it was great. I had the power to save my friends and the town from Shadows, and I could be a hero. Make my old man proud." Other Blaine said. Kyle kept quiet. Where was he going with this? "Dan tried to beat the living shit out of me, but he couldn't even make me flinch. So he ran away, calling me a freak, and I thought he died that night."

"I don't know what else to say..." Kyle said, scared. "You're not going to get away with this, you know that? Aimee and the others are going to find me!"

"You think I was gonna keep you here forever? You're useless under pressure!"

"Excuse me for not being comfortable with being kidnapped! Look, you bastard, you can't ask me to make Dan forgive you!" Kyle shouted.

"I know that, dumbass." Other Blaine said. In that moment, all the anger in his face vanished. Kyle saw him turn around, and wipe his eyes._ Is he crying?_ "You guys must think I actually enjoy this shit. Fighting Shadows, controlling the people of this city, leading the Ornatu Legion..."

"What are you saying?" Kyle said, a little less afraid.

"I'll let you in on a little secret. I hate it! I'm not the same as I was back then. Ten years ago, I thought I was awesome, and I could help Aeternus end the Shadows for good. But they don't want to end them at all! They're using them for something even worse. Kanaloa's destruction was just a statistic to those fuckers." Other Blaine said. "Nothing I could do about it, though. The Holy Cross guys think they're heroes, but they're not. I can't trust them..."

"Trust for what?" Kyle asked.

"To save the city!" Other Blaine said, angry again. "Those guys are pathetic! Nihane and the others, I can't kill them on my own! I tried to get Amara and Nathan on my side, but you know what the Ater Vox did? They framed me!"

"Are you serious?" Kyle couldn't believe this. Was this just a scheme to get Kyle to join the Ornatu Legion? "But why would they do that?"

"They _know_ I wanted to kill them, so they thought if they stopped me from having even one friend in the world, I'd quit my plans." Other Blaine said.

"What about Serena?" Kyle asked. "They said she was dead!"

"They were wrong." Other Serena said, finally coming back, and she gave Blaine a strange gesture with her hands. "Looks like they killed the Corrupt Chronicle. They'll soon know they were tricked."

"Wait!" Kyle said. "Serena, why are you with this guy?"

"Kyle, don't you remember me? At all?" she asked, and she had a sorrowful look in her eyes.

"I know in that other world, you and I are best friends. But here, I don't know you! Why are you helping the Commander?" Kyle screamed. "Is he seriously trying to save the city from Aeternus?"

"...Yes." Other Serena said. "Aeternus found out about my Persona ability, thanks to my sister. Nina."

"You mean Nina Agnethe? I knew she was in the Ater Vox, but I didn't think you and her were sisters." Kyle said. "I didn't even know what she looked like!"

"It's true! Since I tried to kill her, they sent Blaine to kill me. But he didn't! He told me everything, about his past, the Holy Cross, and what he was trying to do! Kyle, I've had my Persona for six years. I got mine around the same time you got yours. We met around the same time you got Hephaestus! Don't you remember?" Other Serena said.

"Remember what?" Kyle yelled.

"The day your mother was killed." Other Serena said. Kyle's face went blank. All of a sudden, in his head, he was ten years old again. A young boy who had just learned of his Persona, with everyone at school begging him to join the Ornatu Legion. As Other Serena talked, he couldn't think clearly at all as many horrible memories slowly came back.

"Mommy, no! Get away from him!"

_Legarte Harbour_

After a long and arduous battle, the Shadow shattered to pieces and disintegrated.

"Damn, that was hard! Thank god we won!" Amara said, wiping sweat from her brow. "Now let's go back to looking for Kyle."

"Yeah..." Serena said, looking very worried. Looking all over the harbour, they couldn't see a thing."Kyle! Where are you?" she screamed, running around. "Oh god. The Shadows didn't get him, did they?"

"I'm sure he's not - Quiet! Someone's coming!" Nathan said, and Amara soon heard footsteps. Quicly, the four of them hid behind barrels.

"Can't see a thing. I told you we should have come here earlier! There's no one here at all!" someone said. _That sounds like Kazuya! But what's he doing here?_

"But Kazuya, the Commander said to get there whenever we could! It's not my fault Alastair takes too long to wash his hair!" Bianca said, and Alastair groaned.

"It _is_ nice hair though. He's worth it!" Richard said, laughing. "C'mon, Kazuya, just relax. Although that huge wall in front of us is pretty ugly, and the water's dirty, it's kinda nice here!"

"Everyone, _shut up_ and listen!" Alastair exclaimed. "The Commander's exact words were 'Get your asses to the harbour whenever you can, something's come up'. Nothing's here, so we were either too late or he got it wrong."

"Well, I doubt he would say that if it wasn't something important. Maybe we just need to go to the right side of the harbour. Let's go!" Bianca said, and the Holy Cross ran off.

"So is it a trap or not?" Blaine asked, angry. "I mean, not that I want it to be a trap, but I'm fucking confused here!"

"I don't know. The Holy Cross didn't know what was going on. They wouldn't lie if they didn't know we were here." Amara said, worried. "At any rate, Kyle's completely vanished. Please tell me Seraphina knows where he is."

"What's going on?" Aimee said, as she and the others ran up to them. "Haven't you found Kyle yet?"

"...No." Serena said, very distressed. "Seraphina! You can sense him, right?"

"I am trying my hardest, but there is a veil of darkness covering my gift!" Seraphina said. "Locating Kyle is not within my reach!"

"Damn!" Dan said, stomping on the ground. "What the hell are we still doing' here? Kyle's gotten himself kidnapped and they're sending us on a wild goose chase!" he yelled. "We'll have to search the whole damn city if we have to!"

Amara didn't know what to do anymore. If Kyle was in danger, it was up to her and the others to save him. But if the Commander had seized him, what could she do? She wasn't ready to face him, not yet.

"Hey, look over there!" Nathan said. A hooded woman, covered completely in black, walked in a rather eerie way towards the gang.

"Are you searching for the boy known as Kyle McHale?" she said. Serena gasped at her voice, but everyone else just looked confused.

"What have you done to him?" Dan yelled. "If you've hurt him, then I'll fucking tear you to pieces!"

"I have not touched him. Tonight, however, he will remember the past. The past he has sealed within his heart to protect himself. Yet, the longer he guards that past, the worse that boy shall be." the woman said. "Serena, you must be there for him, and remind him that he is not alone, no matter how much he thinks so."

"Who are you?" Priscilla asked. "You're not in Aeternus, are you?"

"I am a sinner, who must rectify the atrocities I have bestowed upon this land." she said. "Until we meet again." With this, she faded away.

"What the hell was that?" Blaine said, scratching his head.

"I dunno. Seraphina, can you find him now?" Amara asked.

"Yes! In an instant, it becomes clear! He is in Takanawa. Let us depart!" Seraphina said, and the gang ran back to the NDD, but Serena hesitated.

"Serena, what's wrong?" Amara asked.

"Nothing. I'm coming." Serena said, running up.

_Takanawa, Unknown Place_

Kyle simply laid there, shaking. With every word Other Serena told him, he seemed to get more and more distant. "Kyle...it's all true. I'm sorry."

"I suppose now would be a bad time to ask him about the secret base." Other Blaine said.

"...Mom..." Kyle said, without looking at the other two.

"Blaine, I'm sorry. I didn't think he'd repressed the memories of that day." Other Serena said.

"He'll be fine. When he snaps out of it, he can tell the others what I told him. They might even trust me a little." Other Blaine said, just as his phone bleeped with a text message. He read it, and sighed immediately at the sender - Richard. "Damn I have to deal with the damn Holy Cross now - shit!"

The entrance to the place - an old office - sounded like it had been broken down, and there was a lot of shouting. "How did they know we were here?"

"They've got a psychic member. Seraphina, or something!" Other Serena said. "What do we do?"

"We can't fight in here. The kid's already traumatised. Let's deal with them downstairs. C'mon." Other Blaine said, and the two of them left the room.

"...Mom..."

_Downstairs, Takanawa Office Building_

"Okay, we're here! This time, we'll find him!" Aimee said. "Kyle, where are you?" Amara looked around, but before she got a chance to take in her surroundings - the building was some kind of disused supply agency - two people appeared on the upper level. Other Blaine, and a girl...

"There you are, you son of a bitch!" Dan screamed, aiming his rifle at the Commander. "So you think you can kill my best bud? You'll have to kill me first! Go ahead, I'll give you the first shot!"

"I don't want to fight you. Dan, you spent eight years in The Mole getting wasted because of me. I'm not having _any_ fun from this!" Other Blaine yelled. Dan gasped, and the others looked confused.

"Wait, that's right. Kyle found Dan in The Mole two years back. What else did you make him tell you?" Aimee asked, anxious. "Wait, who's she?"

Serena gasped, at the sight of the girl next to the Other Blaine.

"Me?" They had different hair styles, but it was definitely the other Serena. In a green military jacket, she wielded a similar whip. "What have you done to Kyle?"

"He'll be okay. I want to save him. I can't let my sister get his claws on him!" Other Serena said. Serena glared at her, and Amara just looked around, in confusion.

"You mean Nina Agnethe is Serena's sister?" Priscilla said, and everyone else except Blaine gasped. "I've never seen her in person before..."

"It's true, then. My sister really is one of the Ater Vox. I knew she was in Aeternus, and she was at the convention ten years ago." Serena said, dismayed. "You're working for Aeternus, aren't you? Why did they say you were killed?"

"They thought I was, but he saved me." Other Serena said. "Now that this other world has come up, we can't have you getting involved! Go home, already! Go to the Kyle you know, and leave this Kyle to me!"

"I can't let you do that! Kyle is my friend, no matter what world he's in!" Serena shouted. "If I have to fight myself to save him, so be it!" Without any hesitation, she conjured Artemis.

"Come on, then! Artemis, show yourself!" As expected, she summoned her own version of Artemis - which other than a black tight dress, looked similar to Serena's.

**My darker self...we want to protect the one dear to us. We should not fight to determine which of us shall save him! **Artemis said.

**My lighter self...it is my destiny to save this boy! You shall not stop me, so if you insist on taking him, you shall have to vanquish me! **Other Artemis said. Both of their Personas were charged with tremendous power, just like with Amara and Blaine.

Aimee, frightened, looked at everyone. "Okay, me, Priscilla, Seraphina and Dan will take care of the Commander, the rest of you fight her! Don't let her get away!"

"Agilao!" Amara blasted Other Serena with powerful flames, and Nathan followed up with a Garula.

"N-No!" Other Serena cried, as Blaine summoned Tlaloc. Just as the lightning struck the ground, she rolled to the side. "I'm not letting you get me with that!" Her Artemis fired a powerful arrow at Amara, hitting her in the arm.

"She's fast. Just like me." Serena yelled. "Come on, Aques!" Artemis' water spell did some considerable damage. It seemed two identical Personas fighting each other had some strange effects.

"So your Artemis has the same spell? Then let me show you who's better!" Other Serena yelled, and another Aques emerged, hitting Serena.

"She completely voided my resistance!" Serena said, stunned. "How did that happen?"

"I don't know, but we have to keep fighting!" Nathan said, as he tried to attack Other Serena with his staff. However, she kept leaping out of the way of his and Amara's attacked, and swung her whip at them - yet, she fell right into a Zionga, which caused her to fall to the ground in agony.

"Ha, got her!" Blaine said, and he shot her multiple times. "How about this one?" Tlaloc smashed Other Serena with her hammer, much to her annoyance.

"Ngh...no! I won't let you get away with that! Malaques!" And sure enough, the entire team was blasted with water. Blaine's high pitched squeal spoke for itself, as he fell down in pain.

"Blaine, are you okay? Diarama!" Serena said, healing Blaine. "Wait, if I can do this-"

"Oh, a healer like me? I can do that as well. Diarama!" The Other Artemis healed her, and Other Serena grinned at Amara's sigh of frustration.

"This is going to take forever!" Amara said. "Just keep hitting her until she can't heal herself enough!" And so, the battle dragged on and on, as Other Serena did nothing but heal herself, whilst the others tried to blast her with as many magic spells as possible. Finally, Blaine got her with another Zionga.

"Oww! Not...again!" Other Serena said. Amara took a quick look to see the other battle, and Other Blaine was trying his hardest to fight back. Priscilla was casting Bufula, Dan was firing rather wildly, Seraphina attempted to set up another magic shield but got shot by Other Blaine, and Aimee was waiting to heal them.

"Shall we try and finish this?" Blaine said, looking at Serena. She nodded, and Tlaloc and Artemis flew into the air. "See if you can dodge this! **Divine Pillar!**" A torrent of water hit the Other Serena, and just as it reached it's highest level, Tlaloc sent forth a godly bolt of lightning that caused the torrent to surge, and Other Serena collapsed, bleeding and struggling to move.

"_Enough_!" Other Blaine called, narrowly dodging Dan's bullet. "This isn't accomplishing anything. The original plan was to get that kid to return to his sense so we could ask him more questions, but this is just pointless! Go ahead and take the damn kid!"

"Return to his senses?" Amara asked.

"Let's take him up on his offer." Priscilla said. "Kyle's probably worried about us."

"Tch...fine. I'll get another chance to kill him anyway." Dan said, dismissing Tezcatlipoca. "I'm letting you go for now, but you two better get out of here before I change my mind!"

"Isn't it supposed to be me saying that?" Other Blaine said, with a very small smile. Dan shrugged, and Other Blaine sighed. "You've changed."

"What are you freaks trying to do to the world?" Amara asked, exhausted. "Taking over the city isn't just the start, is it?"

"You think I'm on their side? Just ask Kyle. He knows the truth." Other Blaine said, turning towards Dan. "Dan, the kid's been through a lot. You look after him. If he's your best friend now, don't let him down. Ever." Before anyone could say anything, he ran through the nearest NDD.

"No matter what, I'll save Kyle!" Other Serena said, as she followed.

"What's he talking about?" Dan said, no longer angry, but confused.

"Is he our enemy or not?" Nathan said, dusting off his shirt.

"I do not know, but I do not think his heart is one of malice." Seraphina said. "Enough dawdling! Our companion needs us!"

Serena nodded, and darted upstairs. "Kyle, I'm coming! Please be alright!"

_Office_

"Kyle!" Serena said, running in. Kyle was lying there, in a daze, sweating all over.

"...Mom...don't...die..." he said.

"This is the past that lady was talking about, right?" Blaine said, watching Kyle mutter in horror.

"I knew his mother died, but he didn't remember how it happened." Aimee said, sad. "If he's been keeping it bottled up inside for so long, no wonder this happened."

"Kyle, can you hear me?" Serena asked, shaking Kyle. "I'm here!"

"Serena?" Kyle finally said. "Where's my mom? Mom, I -" he began saying, but his voice degenerated into muffled noises, as he began wailing, tears falling from his eyes. Serena hugged him tight, trying to soothe him.

"It's alright. I'm here." she said. Kyle couldn't stop, and everyone just watched as Serena held her close friend as tightly as possible. "We'll get you home." After finally locating his wheelchair, the gang returned home, as Kyle eventually passed out.

_Secret Base_

"I think Kyle needs some rest. Please come back tomorrow, everyone." Aimee said, as Dan took Kyle to his bedroom. "Also, about your sister, Serena -"

"Sorry, I should have said something before now. All I knew was that she was working for Aeternus ten years ago, and she came to the convention...but I didn't think she'd be one of the Aeternus leaders in this place!" Serena said, shaken. "I'm sorry, I don't know anymore...she never talked to me about any of her work."

"Hey, we'll find out more later. Don't worry!" Amara said, forcing a smile.

"Don't torment yourself. I think we can trust you. But we may end up having to fight her at some point. You'll have to deal with that eventually." Nathan said, seriously.

"Yeah, I guess. I'll be fine. Let's talk about it later, okay? C'mon, let's go home. Everyone, please look after Kyle!" Serena said, and she went through the NDD with Amara and Nathan. Blaine was about to go through, but Dan grabbed his shoulder before he did.

"What?" Blaine said, nervous.

"Sorry. I knew you weren't the same Blaine I knew, but I can't just forget about what happened. So…" Dan said, holding out his hand. "I guess I should stop being a dick to you."

"Thanks, man." Blaine said, with a weak smile. "This doesn't mean you like me, does it?"

"Hey, I'm the one who's supposed to say that." Dan said, and he tried to stop himself from smiling too. "...Heh. I'll keep an eye on Kyle, so go on home. Have a good night."

"Will do!" Blaine said, running through the NDD. A lot had happened today, but Aimee knew they must go on. Yet, it didn't seem like the day they saved New Motus City was so far off anymore.


	21. Chapter 21: An Evening of Blue

**Chapter 21: An Evening of Blue**

The Real People offices were the same as ever, with Colette unveiling yet another new outfit, Juan discussing his crazy ex-girlfriend in New Zealand who thought she was a goddess, and Amara hard at work on her illustrations. Despite being tired from last night's battles, she had to soldier on. Karen announced that of tomorrow, she would be Karen Marshall officially.

"So now it won't seem like I'm lying when I introduce myself!" Karen said, grinning.

"Let's hope it'll be a while before your surname changes again, eh?" Amara said, wiping away the sleep from her eyes.

"Yes! Back to the single life, again!" Karen said, sighing. "If only I'd married _him..._"

"Married who, Karen?" Sheila asked.

"My first love." Karen said, as she went back to her office.

"Speaking of love, you're meeting Zao tonight!" Stella said, excited. "Where is he taking you?"

"His favourite restaurant, the Mussel Inn. Trust him to pick a seafood restaurant!" Amara said, her cheeks red. "Still, it might be fun."

"Hey, you don't want it to be the _only_ date, do you?" Stella asked. "I have a good feeling about this. You two are perfect together!"

"That's what my father said about me and Karl. Look what happened." Amara said, sighing. "I hardly know him, but I can't stop thinking about him!"

"Well..." Stella said. "The Sun shall be garbed in black when she encounters The Fool."

"I didn't think he was stupid." Amara said, frowning.

"Read up on tarot cards after your date, then you'll get it." Stella said, laughing. As Amara kept working, she couldn't help but wonder what Zao was doing, how excited he'd be for the date, etc. She couldn't wait to get out of here and go see him.

"Hey, you two!" said Lucy. It wasn't like her to talk to anyone unless she was criticising them, but this time she didn't seem to be doing that. Amara looked up. "Me and Colette are hitting some clubs tonight! You feel like coming?"

"I've got a date, sorry! Next time maybe!" Amara said. "Stella, you should go!"

"Me? I'm not sure if it'd be my sort of thing." Stella said, flustered.

"Hey, you should hang out with people more! Didn't you have any friends before starting this job?" Amara asked.

"Oh, so I'm the loner now? Fine, count me in. I'll show you I can be cool." Stella said. "Is it just the three of us?"

"Nope, my friend Shirley's coming. She's pretty cool. Anyway, I gotta check on Juan's work. He keeps trying to put in innuendos, and I have to remind him those aren't appropriate. Ugh, what a moron." Lucy said, going over to Juan's desk.

"Well, looks like we've got a fun night ahead of us. Good luck to you!" Amara said.

"I suspect I'll need it more." Stella said, gulping.

_Legarte, Lucille Valley High School_

School had ended for today, and for Lucille Valley High, the summer break was coming up very soon, much to the students delight. Yet before that, they had exams to deal with, and then it would be the start of another school year. "So Kyle, your mom finally booked those plane tickets?"

"Yeah, after I had to remind her like seventy times." Kyle said, sighing. "Still, next month we're going to France! I can't wait! Your parents going anywhere?"

"Well, they wanted us to go to Spain, but I told them no." Serena said, sheepishly. "Well, my language was a bit stronger than that."

"Serena-"

"Hey, who cares about them? I guess I'm home alone this summer. Maybe Amara will be free." Serena said.

"Who's Amara?" Kyle said.

"Didn't I tell you about her? She's this artist girl who works on that new magazine, Real People." Serena said, laughing nervously. "She's pretty cool!"

"Oh, okay." Kyle said. "You've been hanging out with these new friends a lot, then?"

"Yeah, kinda. Let's eat out tonight. How about a Chinese?" Serena said, grinning.

"Great! As long as we don't have to use chopsticks." Kyle said, jokingly. "It's been a while since I went to Takanawa." Serena looked away awkwardly, expecting Kyle to say he was last there with Matthew. "What's with that look? Remember, it was my birthday!"

"Oh yeah." Serena said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Let's go then."

_Takanawa, Shiori Street_

Takanawa was a district formed by Asian immigrants long ago, and had plenty of interesting sights to offer. Plenty of shrines and temples around, as well as amazing stalls and the prestigious Takanawa University, possibly the highest ranking educational facility in the city.

"Do you think we'll end up going there some day?" Kyle asked. Not surprisingly, the entrance exams there were incredibly tough, where 5% of entrants managed 90% or higher. Only seven people had managed 100%, and they had gone on to become incredible successes in their chosen professions.

"Hah, you wish! My old man would throw a fit if I told him I wanted to go there!" Serena said, grinning.

"Yeah, my mom would do the same. Anyway - oh crap, hide!" Kyle said, as he wheeled himself behind Serena.

"Huh? Hide from _what_? The Masked Circle?" Serena said.

Soon, she saw what Kyle was hiding from. Still in his blue uniform, it was Daniel Kinglsey, eating something from the sushi parlour. Noticing them, he waved came over.

"Kyle, you're in a wheelchair. I'm a little insulted that you think I'm big enough to hide behind." Serena said, rolling her eyes.

"Um...Hi, Mr Kingsley!" Kyle said, nervously. Serena just shrugged and said hello.

"Is he still calling me that? It's just Dan!" Dan said, smiling. "Blaine was saying you needed his help with your homework. How'd that go?"

"It was great!" Serena said, grinning. "I got the best grade in the class, and the teacher almost had a heart attack!"

"Bet your parents are pleased, huh?" Dan said, and Serena looked at the ground, sighing. "Oh. Never mind then. So, you lovebirds on a date?" he asked.

"Um...I...we..." Kyle muttered, blushing.

"Ha! No, we're just friends!" Serena said, laughing. Kyle's face remained as red as a tomato, even more so as Dan gave a knowing wink. "So are you on your break?"

"Yeah, then I have to go back to my usual route. I just thought I'd come here for a change, and get the new Sex Meteorite album." Dan said. _What kind of band name is that? _Serena thought, but she just laughed politely. "Oh yeah, sorry about last time." he said, looking at Kyle, who had moved in front of Serena now.

"Last time?" Kyle asked. "Oh yeah. I didn't know you and Matthew-"

"It's okay. Hey, I have to get going, but let's talk again, alright? Don't worry, I'm not dangerous. Most of the time." Dan said. Kyle, hesitating, nodded.

"Okay. Take care, Dan." Kyle said, shaking his hand. Dan just laughed, and left.

"We keep bumping into those guy, don't we?" Serena said, giggling. "Oh look, there's a GameVault! Let's go!" she said, running into the nearby game store.

"Sure!" Kyle said, as he followed her. Despite Dan towering over him, he didn't seem so bad after all. In fact, he reminded him of Matthew in many ways. Of coure, they were brothers, so they did look a bit alike, but it was more than that. The way they looked at him, with that kind glint in their eyes and their genuine smiles. Rather than dread it, Kyle was looking forward to seeing Dan again.

_Mussel Inn, Legarte Harbour_

Unlike the other world, the Harbour remained a bustling place. With all sorts of ships during the day, including some incredible cruise ships, it was a popular tourist attraction. Plenty of fish were around here, which explained why this was Zao's favourite place to be. She could just imagine him staring into the water, in awe at all the species swimming beneath the surface.

Amara showed up, in a short black dress and some gold jewellery. She didn't normally wear make up, but tonight she made an exception. Would this evening go according to plan? She received texts earlier for good luck, such as Nathan telling her not to be nervous, Serena telling her to order the lobster, and Blaine telling her to put some makeup on. _What's he implying? Meanie..._

"Okay, here we go...don't be nervous." Amara said to herself.

Inside the Mussel Inn, a number of other guests were eating. She looked around, and she soon saw Zao sitting at a table in a rather fetching black shirt.

"Over here!" Zao said, and she quickly ran over. "I'm glad you're here! I wasn't sure if you still wanted to come!"

"Of course I did! I mean, it was a little sudden, but I'm glad you invited me. I like it here." Amara said, even though she'd never been inside before. "So, how was your day?"

"Great! Good haul today. Plenty of sea bass around here!" Zao said, smiling. "How about you? You're at that magazine company, right?"

"Yeah, and I'm the artist for Real People! One of my co-workers is Stella Cleon!" Amara said, and Zao looked surprised. "You know, that psychic!"

"I've heard about her. Let me guess. She tried to predict things about tonight?" Zao said, smiling.

"Yeah. One of the things she said was "Avoid the swordfish to avoid feeling squeamish"." Amara said, and Zao nodded in approval. "What?"

"Nothing. Just saying, she's right - the swordfish here is so bland, even with the special sauce. Here, let me tell you about the really good stuff!" And so, Zao went through the entire menu, discussing the merits of each recipe.

"Okay, Zao, we should probably order now!" Amara said, a little embarrassed. Zao just laughed it off, and after ordering, Amara tried to relax a little. This was her first date in a while, and she didn't want to make a bad first impression. Zao didn't seem fazed by anything, though. He wasn't quite like the other men she had been involved with.

"So, apart from the magazine, what else do you do?" Zao asked, still cheerful. Amara wondered if he ever stopped smiling. Although she was smiling too.

"Oh, I'm an artist. Painting, drawing, I love it. I'd love to have my own art gallery someday!" Amara said, dreamily. "There'd be nothing greater than people coming to see all my artwork and going 'Wow', you know what I mean?"

"Sounds good to me! My parents wanted me to finish college so I could be some kind of engineer and stuff. I just wanted to be like grandpa. He was a fisherman too!" Zao said, his smile still not fading. "Man, I miss him."

"Oh...I'm sorry." Amara said, embarrassed.

"Sorry for what? He's still alive, he just went to Mexico last week!" Zao said, laughing. Amara couldn't help but laugh too. She was a little annoyed, but Zao's ability to stay cheerful just warmed her heart. "Anyway, you got any other cool friends at work?"

_Later That Evening_

"You're a bit of a klutz, aren't you?" Amara asked, as Zao got sauce on his shirt again.

"It's okay, it'll come out. After five washes." Zao said, somehow still smiling after an hour. Amara wondered if he could even stop smiling. Luckily, the Mussel Inn staff were familiar with Zao and were used to his messy eating, so it wasn't too embarrassing. Just then, she got more texts.

"How are things? If he asked you to split the bill, not a good sign!" from Nathan. Amara sighed, and checked the next one.

"Good luck! Hope the food's better than my dinner! Worst spare ribs ever! Oh, and you have to show us what Zao looks like, too!" from Serena. _Well, I suppose I could show a picture, but maybe when he's not got half his sauce down him._

"hows it goin? did you remember to dress up nice? Btw was bored checkd the menu wats whitebait?" from Blaine. Amara just laughed when she got to this one, mainly since she didn't really know herself. Fish wasn't her speciality, after all.

"Someone's popular. Do I have competition?" Zao said, winking. Amara blushed, and shook her head.

"No no, just some friends asking me how it went. I dunno what the big deal is, it's a date, not an exam!" Amara said, as she finished her meal. "I'm having a good time though."

"So am I. It's been a while since I had fun like this!" Zao said, and his smile seemed to grow even bigger. Amara had never seen someone smile so much. "Been a while since I could afford to take girls here, too!"

"So do you work alone?" Amara asked, curious.

"Nope! There's the head fisherman, and the other guys, but they're all old. They only let me in because of my grandpa. If they didn't, they'd be sleeping with the fishes!" Zao said, laughing. "He's a scary dude, my grandpa! What about your family?"

"Oh, my mom died when I was little. My dad's still alive though, and he runs an oil firm." Amara said. She kind of wanted to talk about the other world, where her father was dead and her other self wanted revenge, but Zao wouldn't understand a word of that. Besides, involving this guy in such a dark and scary world was out of the question. "What about your parents?"

"Eh, they're okay..." Zao said, finally finishing. "Sorry about the mess. Most of the girls find it really annoying."

"That's okay. I make such a mess at home. There's paint all over the place!" Amara said, remembering her friend's reactions to her apartment. "I forgot to ask, what were you on the beach for?"

"Oh, that. I was just on a walk, and before I bumped into you, my parents called asking for help with their cat. Hate that thing. I mean, I don't mind cats, but this one hates my guts!" Zao said, shaking his head. "Probably because it can smell the fish and I never give him any."

"That would be annoying for a cat. Maybe you should just get some cologne to cover the smell." Amara said, as it got darker outside. "The sea looks great at night, huh?"

"Yeah. C'mon, let's get out of here and go for a walk. It's like the day we first saw each other. Magic is in the air tonight!" Zao said, looking out the window.

"Zao, I think you may be right. I've got a good feeling about this." Amara said.

_The Mole, Farawell_

The Mole was far cleaner in this world, thanks to a recent renovation. The clientele was also of a higher standard, and thus it was actually inviting. This might have been because of the cheap drinks and the weekly darts tournament. Blaine came in, ordered his usual - ale - and sat down, after a long day at work and a long session at the gym. He had gone occasionally over the years, but now that he was fighting for his life, he thought it'd be a good idea to get fitter. Amara hadn't replied to his text, but he assumed she was having a good time. Dan was having a nap at home, so he was on his own.

"Damn, I needed this." he said, yawning. Blaine had always been partial to beer, ever since he turned eighteen. He liked to think he had calmed down since then, but now and again he and Dan would get rather carried away. There was always something memorable about those nights. The only regret he had was not having Matthew with them. He would have been twenty now, a young man. Perhaps he'd have a girlfriend, and be on his way to becoming the detective he always wanted to be. Blaine had slowly gotten used to not having him around, but he could tell Dan missed his younger brother dearly.

These days, nights without going to the other world were rare treats. It was kind of a drag, on his own, though. Amara had a date with a fisher dude, Serena was probably with Kyle, and of course Nathan had Priscilla. From what he heard about her, Blaine gathered she must be something of a stunner.

_Doomed to be an eternal bachelor, huh? Better get used to it. At least I'm not alone._

When he was in his teens, he had a new girl almost every week. They weren't exactly deep, but it was a lot of fun to show off his new girl to Dan every week. Dan, being the doting older brother, would desperately try to make Matthew go to bed so he didn't have to see the girls Blaine brought round. Yet these days, it was almost a milestone if he got a girl to notice him. Perhaps he was going to the wrong places...

"So where are we going after this?" said a young lady with thick shoulder-length auburn hair. She had just came in with two other women, about the same age as her. One of them had teal hair, and Blaine recognised her - Stella Cleon, the psychic he had seen in passing. If Stella was with them, there was a good chance these were Amara's colleagues. She hadn't spoken about them too much, apart from Stella and some woman called Karen, her boss. However, it was the

"Lucy, we just got here!" said the blonde girl in the pink skirt and white top. "We're getting a quick drink here, then we're off to ReflectRave!"

"Oh, good, it stinks in here. ReflectRave is great, though! Great music - Colette, do you EVER wear the same outfit more than once?" said Lucy. Blaine noticed her bright green eyes, as she sighed at 'Colette'. Stella just laughed, as the girls walked up to the bar and ordered drinks. As Lucy was near Blaine, he started to find her more and more attractive.

_Oh, what the hell. Maybe this is my lucky night!_

"Evening, miss!" Blaine said to 'Lucy', with a wink. He didn't normally try it on with younger girls, but Lucy had something to her - a feisty look in her eyes. There was something irresistable about her, and after a drink, he felt a shot of courage. Perhaps he had something to brag to Dan about later tonight, too.

"Uh, yeah. Evening." Lucy said, not really paying attention.

"Mind if I get the lovely lady something?" Blaine asked.

Lucy just sneered, and turned away.

_Ouch. Have I let myself go that much? Or is thirty too old these days? Wait, what the hell am I doing. The girl's like twenty or something. I'm punching above my weight big time.  
_

Blaine sighed, dejected, and went back to his drink. None of the other women in the place were his type, and the one that was ignored him. He tried turning his eyes to the football game on the TV, but it didn't help. Being a bachelor wasn't quite as fun as the sitcoms made it look. The idea of being forty and still being single...he didn't want it to happen to him. He wasn't getting any younger, though.

"So yeah, did you hear about Karen's divorce? It's finally done!" Colette said.

"Indeed it is. But I have a feeling she'll have another man very soon." Stella said, deep in thought as she held her gin and tonic.

"Ah, your intuition again?" Colette asked, as she drank her Malibu and lemonade. "I could use your help, too. Wish I could find someone nice! This bar's just full of old guys. Lame."

"Meh, marriage is stupid anyways. After the honeymoon, it's just monotony and bitterness." Lucy said, as she looked around the bar. Just as Colette started gushing about Stella's 'super mega awesome' style, Blaine noticed Lucy stare at him, without her sneer. Instead, she looked curious. _Wait, is there something on my face? Or is she interested in me after all?  
_

"You looking for some company tonight?" Blaine asked, finishing his pint, with a sly grin.

"S-Shut it! Damn, where's Shirley?" Lucy said, hastily checking her mobile phone. Her face went bright red, as she tried to focus on her phone. Blaine just chuckled, and ordered one last beer. Perhaps he still had some charm after all.

_Legarte Harbour_

"Gorgeous, huh?" Amara said, staring at the sea. The night sky's reflection in the crystal clear water was breathtaking, as was the sight of a cruise ship sailing by.

"Yeah. The sea's nice too!" Zao said, laughing. "You really do look nice tonight. I'm glad you turned out to be awesome, too."

"Me? Awesome? I'm just a girl who loves painting." Amara said, gazing into the distance. Sitting by the sea, she and Zao spent a while in silence. This moment Amara wished would last forever. Just then, she heard voices from people walking by. Nathan and Priscilla!

"Hey!" She said, much to Priscilla's surprise. Zao just blinked, confused too.

"Oh, hello." Nathan said, nervous. Clearly, he hadn't told Priscilla about his new friends.

"Who is this girl?" Priscilla asked.

"Oh, I'm Amara. Me and Nathan met when he saw me drawing a sketch of the river one day and complimented me!" Amara said, grinning.

"I'm Zao! Pleased to meetcha!" Zao said, shaking both Nathan and Priscilla's hands.

"Nice to meet you as well! I'm Nathan, and this is Priscilla. We just wanted to take a walk, since it's so nice at this time of year." Nathan said, relieved. Telling the truth would have been stupid, even if the Other Priscilla was fighting Shadows in the other world.

"You two look pretty loved up! Been together long?" Zao asked.

"Yes, we have! I first met Nathan when the two of us were little. It was a really crowded gathering, and we were the youngesst people there. Even then, Nathan was all dressed up. I was nervous of all the adults, and hid behind the curtains, but Nathan was there too!" Priscilla said.

"I think I was bored and wanted to look out the window. You were so adorable then - when you had to go home, you hugged me and told me to call you! Of course, you're still adorable now..." Nathan said, lovingly holding Priscilla's hand.

"That's so cute! So Priscilla's family must be pretty important if they were at Nathan's house, right?" Zao asked.

"Well, her mother is. Lavender Lancaster, a violinist. She's retired now, but she'll never pass up a chance to show off her talents." Nathan said.

"I was going to follow in her footsteps and write music too, but I realised I really enjoyed business studies. So I wound up in Albion Incorporated after university!" Priscilla said.

"Well, at least Lavender got to tutor Tara a bit. She really enjoyed that!" Nathan said. Amara didn't know who Tara was, but just shrugged. Zao, as ever, was just smiling at the conversation. "It wasn't until me and Priscilla were teenagers that we started dating. Since then, we've never been apart, pretty much."

"I guess we're stuck together, huh?" Priscilla said, giggling.

"Yes, but I'm not complaining!" Nathan said. "Anyway, we better leave you to it! Nice to meet you, Zao!"

"See ya, Nathaniel!" Zao said, his ever-present smile returning. "You've got some nice friends, Amara."

"Yeah, I guess I do." Amara said. The two of them were silent for a while, then without thinking, she kissed Zao. He was surprised at first, but they held the kiss tightly - neither of them wanted to let go. She just wanted to make this evening feel complete. Also, she wanted to let Zao know how wonderful it was, being with him.

"You're a fascinating girl, Miss Furaha. That was one hell of a kiss!" Zao said. "Wait till I tell the guys tomorrow!"

"You haven't been kissed before?" Amara asked. "You're quite the flirt, you know!"

"Huh? Oh. Well, usually I'm the one that kisses first. But now, a girl kissed me on the first date. This is awesome!" Zao said, and Amara sighed. Clearly, Zao wasn't the sappy type, but she couldn't help but smile at his energy. "Sorry, it's getting late. I should be getting back. Walk me to walk you home?"

"No, that's okay. Can we do this again sometime?" Amara said, blushing.

"Sure! So does this mean we're an item now?" Zao said, and at this point Amara wondered if anything could stop him from smiling at all.

"Yes, it does!" Amara said, smiling. Unsurprisingly, Zao jumped up in joy. "Well, see you soon, Zao!" she said, waving as she left the harbour. Zao was so different from anyone she had met before, and yet, she liked that about him. Deep down, she couldn't wait to see him again. Now, she had something else to look forward to when she returned from her battles in the other world.


	22. Chapter 22: Divine Quarter

**Chapter 22: Divine Quartet**

_Farawell, Madam Teresa's Coffee Shop_

A coffee bar not too far from Amara's place, Madam Teresa's was a fairly quiet place, yet the owner Teresa was a friendly woman dedicated to brewing the best coffee imaginable. It had an old-fashioned charm, compared to most of the trendy eateries around the city. Amara and the others agreed to meet her, so they could get some coffee before their trip to the other world.

"Sounds like your date was a hit!" Serena said, as she drank her hot chocolate. "Better than our night. What a rip-off. Takanawa is not the place to go for us teenagers."

"My night kind of sucked too. There was this hot girl, but she just ignored me. At least some of us are getting some action!" Blaine said. "You going to see Zao again, then?"

"Definitely!" Amara said, her face glowing at the mere mention of his name. "Guess that leaves you and Serena as the single ones, huh?"

"Um, yeah." Serena said, her face red. "Well, maybe someone nice will come along."

"I have a feeling they already did." Nathan said, smirking as Serena blushed even harder.

"I had a better night than Stella did, anyway. She was stuck with Lucy and Colette!" Amara said - and she noticed Blaine's eyes widen as she said Lucy's name. "Oh, they work at the magazine too. Colette's okay, but she keeps going on about her clothes and her makeup. Today, she keep prattling on about my eyeliner and how I need to use that new conditioner - the one with the messed up ad with the gorilla."

"What about Lucy?" Blaine asked. Amara blinked - Blaine didn't usually take interest in her job. Perhaps anyone was more interesting to hear about that Colette, of course.

"Oh, her? She's kinda annoying. She thinks she's so much better than us because she's studying at Jewel Crown College, and she's always criticising our work! Still, at least she's only part time." Amara said, sighing. "I'm so glad I never went to that place. It's not the right environment for artists..."

"Jewel Crown, huh? Is that the fancy college in Saragel?" Blaine asked. "Interesting..."

"You get interested by odd things, Blaine. Anyway, I hope Kyle's feeling better over there." Nathan said, as he finished his coffee. "If only we could have rescued him sooner..."

"I know how you feel. I was sure Seraphina could have found him, but something got in the way…maybe Shadows affected her powers." Amara asked. "Still, I think he'll be okay eventually. We're going after we're done here, right?"

"Yeah! Just a second!" Serena said, as she turned to her phone. "Just need to finish this game, and -" Just before she was about to finish whatever game she was playing, her phone battery ran out. "Lame. I need to kill some Shadows NOW!"

"If I were a Shadow, I would _not_ wanna be near you right now." Blaine said, alarmed as Serena slammed her phone on the table.

_Secret Base_

The base seemed different without Kyle at the computer. The screen was just blue, much to their confusion. No one was in the main room, much to Amara's surprise.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" Amara called out.

"Oh, hi!" Aimee said, as she got out of her room. "We weren't expecting you till later! How was your date?"

"Great!" Amara said, going into great detail about last night's rendezvous. Priscilla, Seraphina and Dan come out of their rooms whilst they were talking, and the former two were very interested in the conversation, whilst the latter just sat down and yawned.

"Okay, that's enough talk for now. Kyle's still a bit out of it - he's not crying anymore, but he's just not talking much." Aimee said. "Serena, don't worry about him. We're going to take care of him!"

"Sucks that we can't use the computer without him." Blaine said, looking at the machine.

"I know. I told Dan that he couldn't use it, but he tried anyway, and…well, he used it to look up women in...a state of undress." Priscilla said, glaring at Dan.

"It's been ten years since I've seen a naked woman! Give a guy a break! Haven't I suffered enough?" Dan moaned melodramatically, and Blaine burst out laughing. "What?"

"Nothing! I was just reminded of the old dirty movies we used to watch. Like that one about the nuns and the schoolgirls." Blaine said. Nathan shook his head once again, a common reaction to Blaine's comments. _What on earth - wait, that doesn't surprise me. Oh, Blaine._

"Fascinating. Truly fascinating. Regardless, nothing major has arisen. Perhaps now would be the perfect time to discuss Nina Agnethe, Lady Serena's sister." Seraphina said.

"Yeah, you're right. Well, she was my older sister, and, well, the child my parents wanted. I was an accident." Serena said, sighing. "I know, I heard them talking once."

"That's...awful." Amara said, sitting down. "So she ended up working for Aeternus?"

"Yeah. She was a genius. Head Girl at school, graduated at college with flying colours. My parents kept saying she was a child prodigy. Even when I was five, they kept comparing me to her, like how when she was my age she could play the piano." Serena said, angrily.

"Wow. I'm thirty and I'm not even sure what a viola is." Blaine said.

"Quiet, Blaine. So she got involved with the rest of the Ater Vox, somehow." Nathan said. "We still don't know much about them."

"Nina started acting weird one day, about eleven years ago. She stopped coming to the family home, and she was just really weird. She was rude to everyone, kept going on about the state of the world. I didn't get it at the time. That must have been when they started their plan to take over the city!" Serena said, deep in thought.

"Eleven years ago? When did she start working for them?" Aimee asked.

"Twelve years ago. She always said her boss was really proud of her. Some old guy, named Archie or something." Serena said, and Aimee gasped.

"Archibald Ebert! He's another member of the Ater Vox!" Aimee said. "He must have been the one who gathered the others together..."

"Who are the others?" Nathan asked. "If we have their names, we can learn more about them."

"A woman called Josephine Johnson, and two other men, Carlos Nadal and Pierre Leonard. Oh, and the last is another man, someone called 'Nihane Kronos'." Priscilla said. "We don't have pictures of them. Wait, weren't you at the convention, Aimee?"

"Yes, that's right, but I was eight then. Everything was so scary, but I remember seeing them. There was a woman who looked a bit like Serena, that I remember." Aimee said, with a melancholy expression. "In one moment, everything changed."

"I feel guilty now. Yesterday I was on a date whilst you guys were in here, hiding away..." Amara said, sincerely.

"It's okay. Actually, I like hearing about your days. It gives me something to look forward to!" Aimee said, smiling. "It's nice having you all around!"

Just then, a door opened, and Kyle, still in his pyjamas, came out in his wheelchair. He still looked shaken, and a little panicked to see everyone in the main room. "Oh, hello." Serena said, as Kyle wheeled himself over. "You okay?"

"I-I'm fine. I just wanted to get some juice before bed." Kyle said, going over to the kitchen.

"Dammit." Dan said, watching Kyle. "Nothing we can do to help, huh?"

"That's not true. Just be there for him. When he's ready to talk, you'll be there to listen!" Blaine said. "That sounded really cliché, huh?"

"Yep." Nathan said, with a quiet chuckle. "Well, if there's nothing serious going on today, how about we go train somewhere?"

"That's not a bad idea. How about the Aurelia Park in Legarte? The Shadows there shouldn't be too powerful for you!" Aimee said. "Without the computer, I can't tell if anyone's there, but I can't imagine you'd see anyone there at this time of night."

"Don't worry if you get in trouble, just call us! Or we can have Seraphina work her magic!" Priscilla said, smiling.

"Madam Priscilla, must we always rely on my paranormal abilities?" Seraphina said, arising from her chair to activate the NDD.

"You kiddin'? We're always using paranoid abilities!" Dan said. "Wait, that's not right."

Blaine and the others burst out laughing. "Shut it already, it's not fucking funny!" Dan said, but his demands went unheeded.

"Okay, let's hurry up and go!" Amara said, dragging a hysterical Blaine through the door. Nathan and Serena followed, amused themselves.

_Aurelia Park, Bathroom_

The NDD was located inside a public restroom, which was surprisingly in good condition. However, it was in the men's room, much to Serena and Amara's discomfort.

"What's wrong, girls? Oh, that's right." Nathan said, looking around. "I guess this is convenient, right?"

"So that's what a urinal looks like. How unexpected, that I have a chance to observe the forbidden technology of men!" Serena said, looking in awe at the urinal. "Incredible!"

"Serena, it's just a urinal. Let's get out of here, please?" Amara said, stepping towards the door.

"One sec." Blaine said, walking into a cubicle.

"Of all the times to go!" Nathan grumbled. "Hurry up, would you?"

"In a minute. Dammit, there's no toilet paper." Blaine said.

"Oh for the love of -"

_Aurelia Park_

In the city Amara knew, Aurelia Park was one of the most romantic places to be. With many elaborate places for couples to be, it was one of the most popular places to hold a wedding. A large pond was present near the south, filled with many swans, adding to the intimate atmosphere.

However, in this city, something was wrong. Whilst the park still was full of grass and trees, there weren't any birds, insects or any other wildlife around. Also, the grass looked overgrown, and many structures were collapsed - or just about to.

"Can't imagine anyone getting married here. This place sucks." Blaine said, looking around.

"I don't get the feeling you'd like this place much either way." Nathan said, shaking his head.

"That _hurts_, Nathan. I obviously couldn't compare to your depth of romantic expertise." Blaine said sarcastically.

"Well you could stand to take a few hints. Maybe if you smartened up a bit and swore less, you might actually charm a girl." Nathan said.

"Sorry, buddy, we can't all live like high society like you." Blaine said, irritated.

"Would you two stop?" Amara said, annoyed. "It's bad enough here as it is!"

Just then, the team heard Shadows in the distance. More disturbing, however, were the sounds of people screaming.

"Crap. Looks like we've got company." Nathan said.

"Civilians in trouble?" Serena asked. "Guess it's up to us to save them!"

"Yeah, you're right! Let's go!" Amara said, rushing ahead.

The screams were coming from the biggest tree in the park, which despite the time of year had no more leaves. That wasn't the oddest part, however. A few ordinary civilians, including some children, were cornered by Shadows.

"Crap! Everyone, let's do this - huh?" Amara was interrupted by the sounds of people behind them rushing up. _The Holy Cross?!_

"Here they are. Be careful." Alastair said, brandishing his sword.

"Be gone!" Kazuya roared, as Uriel dispatched numerous Shadows with a Mazionga spell. Alastair followed up by casting Megido, then Bianca destroyed a Shadow with Aques, before it could slaughter a woman holding a baby.

"Woohoo! Bianca, that was great! My turn!" Richard said. "Air Brake!" The Shadow he attacked - some kind of table with a cup, a sword, a coin and a wand floating around it - started to act sluggish, allowing a little girl to get out of it's way. "Little lady, stay back! We'll take care of this one!"

"Okay, mister..." the girl said, dashing over to the adults.

"Well, I'll be. It's you four!" Alastair's eyes widened as he saw the gang approach. There were still quite a few Shadows left, and the chances of one of them attacking the citizens were looking rather high.

"Alastair. We may be enemies, but we both want to eliminate Shadows. Can we co-operate, just this once?" Nathan said, staff clutched firmly in his hand.

Bianca looked at Blaine, who had his gun ready to fire. "Commander!"

"Hey, don't call me that. I'm just Blaine." Blaine shrugged, and turned to the Shadows in front of him. "You listening, freaks? I'm the one who's going to fuck you up, so remember that name!"

"Oh, and my name's Richard! Pleased to meetcha!" Richard said, dodging an attack from a Shadow that resembled a couple dancing.

"You dumbass...even a kitten's not going to be afraid of you." Blaine groaned.

"He really is the Commander!" Richard said, exhilarated. "He even calls me dumbass the same way!"

"Well, there's a reason for that. You broke that vase last night!" Alastair yelled. "Look, enough talking! You four...as leader of the Holy Cross, I agree to your assistance. Please, help us protect these citizens!"

"Got it! Let's do this!" Amara yelled, calling out Hathor. With her radiant fire attacks, she began killing plenty of Shadows before her.

"Artemis, protect these people!" Serena called out, and with her shining water magic, many Shadows were vanquished."

"I'll do my part, too! Setanta, arise!" Nathan roared, and with piercing winds, the Shadows in his path were torn to pieces.

"If you forgot my name already, then at least remember _this_! Tlaloc!" With Blaine's cry, Tlaloc emerged, and called upon crushing bolts of lightning, eliminating the Shadows in his path.

There were two large Shadows still present - each resembling halves of a broken heart, with red masks on them. They looked like they could fit into each other, and had eerie bloodstains on them.

"The Holy Cross will dispatch the one of the left! You four, take the other one down!" Alastair commanded.

"Got it! Time to do our combo magic again!" Amara said, as the four of them gathered their Personas together. Hathor, Artemis, Setanta and Tlaloc all raised their weapons, charged with their retrospective elements. Before the heart could attack, each Persona struck the Shadow at once. "Arms of Brutality!" everyone cried out.

"**Tetragrammaton**!" The Holy Cross's Personas arose, in a cross formation, with Michael at the top, Gabriel beneath him, Uriel to the left and Raphael to the right. All four of them glowed with a bright light, and a giant golden cross appeared in front of them. The supreme light of the cross caused the Shadow great pain, and finally the cross burst, destroying the Shadow once and for all.

"Is that all of them?" Amara asked, searching the park.

"Looks like we won. Thank god." Kazuya said. "Is anyone injured?" he asked, looking at the civilians.

"We seem to be okay. T-Thank you, young man!" An old lady said, relieved. "I thought the park would be safe, but -"

"Grandma, you should have listened to us!" said a young boy beside her. "You know the park's scary! It's creepy and horrible!"

"No it's not!" Bianca snapped. "Ahem. There's Ornatu Legion members waiting by the entrance. They'll escort you home." And so, the civilians left, leaving the Holy Cross and the team.

"I don't think either of us want to fight now." Nathan said. "Serena, could you heal them?"

"Of course." Serena said, casting Mediarama on them all.

"You four risked your lives to save those people. It feels wrong to call you enemies...for today, you are our allies. Thank you for your assistance." Kazuya said, holding out his hand. The other members did the same.

"Huh?" Amara asked.

"A handshake, Amara. C'mon, don't you know what those are? Kids!" Blaine said, grinning.

"Well, it did feel good to fight alongside them. So okay!" Serena said, shaking Kazuya's hand. Blaine shook Bianca's (who looked away), Amara shook Alastair's and Nathan shook Richard's.

"Since we're here, we should have a little talk. We're still confused about why you have the same identity as Persona users we're after - or the Commander - yet you seem to be different people." Alastair said. "The Commander didn't tell us anything about what happened at Lorean Tower."

"He doesn't really like you guys, does he?" Amara said. "Don't let it get to you. He's probably just not the affectionate type."

"Oi! I heard that!" Blaine said, as Amara giggled. "Well, I dunno if you'd believe us, but...it's a long story."

"Oh, I like long stories! Let me get my stopwatch!" Richard said, reaching in his pocket.

"Alright, we'll listen. Regardless of what you have to say, I'm sticking to my promise. I won't fight you today, nor will I mention meeting you to anyone at headquarters." Alastair said, and Amara felt he was being sincere.

"Well, it all started on June 7th..." Amara started, as the four of them explained how they went into the other world, discovered their Personas, and on the day they met Kazuya, learned that the other world was an alternate version of their own.

"Incredible..." Bianca said, after they finished.

"I'll say. That didn't take nearly as long as I thought!" Richard said, holding up his stopwatch. "I should have made a bet before I started, huh?"

"Richard, you - just shut it." Kazuya said, shaking his head. "So you're from an alternate timeline where there are no Shadows...and the city's peaceful like it was ten years ago?"

"Yup. Your Commander knows that, too." Blaine said, remembering the battle at the Power Tunnels. "Thing is, ten years ago, there was an explosion at this networking convention Aeternus were at. We think that explosion stopped them from taking over the city."

"But...that simply can't be right!" Alastair said, stunned. "Aeternus are the ones who discovered Shadows, and created the Ornatu Legion to fight them! They said people like us were the city's only hope!"

"That's not true." Amara said, shaking her head. "They're the ones creating the Shadows. We don't know the whole story, but Aeternus no longer exist in our world. And for the last ten years, everything's been perfectly fine."

"Does the Commander know about this?" Bianca asked. "Were he and the others just lying to us?" Kazuya and Richard were silent, and Alastair looked furious.

"That means the Shadows that broke into my house that day...Aeternus created them." Alastair said. Amara was a little alarmed at Alastair's rage, since he usually kept calm. "The monsters we fight every day - they're the ones who create them?"

"Let's go back now. We need to think this over." Kazuya said, trying to stay calm.

"Well, this sucks. Yeah, the Commander and the others were total assholes to us, but I...kinda liked being a hero." Richard said.

"If what you said is true, then...Kazuya is right. We need to decide a course of action. Confronting our bosses would probably not be effective, yet we need some way to find proof." Alastair said. "C'mon, let's go!" Kazuya and Richard left, but Bianca stayed behind.

"...What?" Blaine said, as Bianca kneeled down to look at some flowers.

"This park. Is it still beautiful in your world?" Bianca asked.

"Yeah, it is. Me and my ex used to come here all the time." Amara said. "Although the last time we did, he panicked when I went off to get a soda and he couldn't find me. We had a huge fight afterwards..."

"These flowers are all mine. Whenever I'm not busy, I come here to look after them. They're nice, aren't they?" Bianca asked. The flowers, beautiful white ones with pink spots on their petals, were radiant and vibrant. Clearly, Bianca gave them a lot of love.

"Yeah, they're gorgeous! I gotta say, you must really love flowers. Heck, you sell them in the mall in our world!" Serena said, smiling.

"You know me in the other world?" Bianca asked, curiously. "I sell flowers? Yes, I remember Amara saying something like that. That sounds so wonderful! The other me must be so...happy."

"From the sounds of things, she is. The rest of your friends are around too. In fact, the four of you seem to spend quite a bit of quality time together." Nathan said. "I saw you and your friends in Nova Albion on one occasion, eating hamburgers outside. The four of you looked pretty close, and...you and Kazuya were holding hands."

Bianca gasped, and stood up. "Me and Kazuya? An item?"

"Yeah. Why, you don't like him? You'd rather go out with Richard?" Blaine asked.

"Don't joke like that! I just never imagined that me and Kazuya would be dating." Bianca said, looking at the ground. "That, too, sounds..." she wiped away a tear, as she trailed off.

"We don't know much about you guys, but you all seem happy in our world. And I think you guys are actually kinda cool, too." Amara said, giving Bianca a smile. "Alastair is some kind of food critic, and he works at the same publishing company as me. I'm in a different magazine though."

"Interesting. Alastair really likes his food, so that doesn't surprise me. As long as we're talking, I might as well tell you about how I joined the Ornatu Legion. Alastair developed his Persona after his parents were killed, but Richard and Kazuya's families are still alive." Bianca said, with a sad look in her eyes. "Yet..."

"Your parents died too?" Amara asked.

"No, they're alive. Even so, I don't get along with most of my family. See, I had an uncle. He was different. He used to like wearing women's clothing, and his wife left him when she found out. My parents thought he was a freak, but I loved him. I always stuck up for him, trying to prove he wasn't so 'disgusting' or 'abhorent' as they saud he was." Bianca said, as she looked at the many flowers surrounding the team.

"That's very good of you. You must have been very special to your uncle." Nathan said, smiling.

"Thank you. Uncle John was like a dad to me. He was so kind, unlike my father. We used to come here all the time, and he taught me all about flowers." Bianca said. Amara had a bad feeling about where the story was heading, but kept quiet. "Even after the Shadows came, we used to sneak in places like this to look at them. Usually, we got away safely, but one day, the Shadows got us."

"...What happened then?" Blaine asked. "Is that when you got your Persona?"

"My Uncle was at death's door, and the Shadows were around me, ready to kill. Then somehow, I felt this power in me. Gabriel...I thought she was a guardian angel at first. Then I realised she came from my own heart. She killed all the Shadows, and I survived." Bianca said, tearful. "Then the Commander came. He said he could sense my power, but at that point, I couldn't care less about him."

"I'm sorry. You don't have to tell us anymore if it's too painful." Nathan said.

"No. Please, let me finish! The Commander tried to save my uncle, but it was too late. I still remember his last words: 'She's the only one who stood by me, even after knowing what I do. She must survive, and see a peaceful city full of flowers once more. Please, look after her.' Then he gave me this rose." Bianca held up the red rose, the one she had every time the gang had met her. "Ever since then, I've used Gabriel to keep it alive."

"I think I can relate." Amara said. "See this necklace I'm wearing? It's a memento of my mother. I was a kid when she died, but...it still feels like she's around, somehow."

Bianca smiled through her tears. "Mementos are wonderful, aren't they? It feels like the ones who are gone never left in the first place."

"Bianca, what's going on? We've been waiting for ages!" Alastair shouted in the distance.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I suppose I should get going. Thank you all for listening. We'll decide what to do later, but...I hope we no longer have to fight each other. Goodbye!" Bianca said, as she ran off.

"Victory!" Serena yelled. "The Holy Cross are doubting their employers! With some internal strife, we could really have Aeternus quaking in their boots!"

"Calm down. It's always possible they'll think we're liars. Although after hearing Bianca's past, I'm feeling rather optimistic myself." Nathan said.

"The other me tried to save her uncle, huh?" Blaine said, thinking. "So he kills everyone in Kanaloa, even Matthew, but he tries to save someone? I didn't think a guy like me would be so damn confusing. I'm not some deep, enimatical weirdo."

"...How do you even know what that word means?" Nathan asked.

"It was the name of this movie I saw on the adult channel, where some high society teacher types break into the school at night and -"

"That's quite enough of that! Let's go back and tell the others about this. If the Holy Cross become our secret allies, that would be a great help!" Amara said. "Oh, we have to go in the bathroom again. Lucky us."

"Nathan was right, it IS convenient. I gotta go." Blaine said, dashing inside.

"What, again?" Serena said, disgusted.

"At least he's not one of those people who draw objects on the bathroom wall. In my student days, there wasn't a single bathroom cubicle that wasn't defiled." Nathan said. "Thank goodness Nova Albion is very strict about defacing the lavatories."

"How strict are we talking?" Amara asked.

"Let's just say one fellow who tried it got a hefty fine. Of course, it didn't help that he was involved in a telemarketing scam, too..." Nathan said, shaking his head.

_Secret Base_

"I see. Well, that was unexpected." Priscilla said. "We never bargained on getting the Holy Cross on our side before, but now that you four appeared, we might just manage it."

"Yeah, great job! Since the Holy Cross have access to the Aeternus headquarters, they could really help us out." Aimee said, very pleased.

"Guess this alternate world thing's really helping us out. Good job, guys." Dan said. "Anyway, I'm off!"

"Where you going?" Blaine asked.

"Legarte. I heard a rumour about the mall there. Y'know, the one you went to with Seraphina and Kyle." Dan said.

"Do you recall the male wrapped entirely with bandages? Several Ornatu Legion members were present at the mall yesterday, and when they returned they had many injuries. Not only that, several of them did not leave." Seraphina said. "This is a dark omen, I am sure."

"Don't worry, leave it to me. You guys go on home." Dan said, then he left.

"Well, I guess we're off. We'll be back soon!" Amara said, and the four of them returned to their city once again.

_Farawell_

"Hey!" Serena shouted. In front of them was a cloaked man, the one that sent the four of them into the other world. "It's him!"

"You!" Amara said. "Who are you? You're with that woman, aren't you?"

"Correct. Me and her are sinners, who must act to preserve humanity." The man said. "Those of the divine cross are not the bringers of salvation. Do not think things will go so smoothly."

"You know something we don't?" Blaine said.

"Many things." the cloaked man said. "They are not like you. Their hearts aren't strong enough yet. There is a reason why I chose you four to brave that other world."

"Because of our other selves?" Nathan asked. "But why not Priscilla or the others? Why just us four?"

"It is the way it must be. Yet, it shall not just be the four of you. I can see it. One more from the world shall go with you." the cloaked man said. "The power of Persona has unlimited potential. We were not wise enough to unlock that potential, and now we pay the price. Farewell for now." With that, he disappeared.

"The Other Nathan said a cloaked woman sent him into this world, didn't he?" Amara said.

"Yes, that's right. They're clearly connected, but I can't figure out what they're talking about. For now, I don't think they're enemies." Nathan said. "Yet they said another would join. But who?"

"We'll have to wait and see. Anyway, I have a race to get to. See ya!" Blaine said, as he got on his motorcycle and left.

"Goodnight, guys!" Amara said, as she returned home. Looking at her still-messy apartment, she wondered who the other person could be. Would it be someone she knew?

_Aeternus Headquarters_

"This is strange. The Commander hasn't returned to the headquarters since Sunday." Kazuya said, as the four of them entered their lounge area.

"That's weird. He's usually complaining when we're late. What's he doing?" Bianca asked.

"I wonder. I wanted to ask him about what happened earlier, but we'll have to wait." Alastair said. "I don't want it to be true, though."

"I don't know what to do. I want to believe in the Commander, but if he's been keeping us in the dark all this time, what are we to do?" Bianca said.

"I don't think any of us know what to do. Should we trust the rebel team? Or is there another explanation?" Kazuya said.

"Maybe we should try going after the versions of Amara and her team from this world? Richard said. "Let's see, there's Amara and Nathan, but wasn't Serena Agnethe killed?"

"Yes, that was what we were told. I didn't think too much about it at the time, but we never did see it happen. We should look for her, as well. From tomorrow, we should gather as much information as we can - but we _must_ be careful. Understood?" Alastair said, with a stern look on his face.

"Got it!" Richard said, reading an Irish joke book. "So can we have food now?"

"Yes, Richard, we can eat. I ordered sushi, so I hope you're hungry!" Kazuya said, much to Richard's delight.

Bianca looked out the window, and wondered…how did the four of them become friends in the other world? Perhaps it was destiny, for all of them to be together. All she knew was that she sold flowers. If she could find the Commander, and ask him. Surely he wouldn't lie to her, would he? He was harsh to the other Holy Cross, but with her, he just ignored her.

"Bianca, are you alright?" Kazuya asked.

"Yes. I'm fine." Bianca said, and soon, the four of them were in an argument over who got to eat the sea urchin.


	23. Chapter 23: Reunion

**Chapter 23: Reunion**

_Albion Inc, Nathan's Office_

Today was proving to be rather stressful. Many reports were due today, and despite being the son of the CEO, Nathan had a heavy workload like any other employee. He wouldn't have it any other way, of course. In fact, he loved being able to put his full effort into helping the company grow. If he wasn't related to the owner, he still would have been promoted multiple times by now. However, the excursions into the other world were taking their toll. Not only that, Joe kept trying to be friendly with him, with idle chit chat over the Motus golf season. Nathan had to politely tell him that he actually preferred tennis, only to instead be forced to hear about Joe's cousin, apparently a slightly popular star living in Luxembourg. Finally, Nathan was back in his own office, trying to sort through his paperwork. As he yawned, Priscilla stepped through the door.

"Nathan, are you alright?" Priscilla asked. "You seem rather tired these days. Or is it stress?"

"No...I'm alright. I just need to go to bed earlier, that's all." Nathan said, as he switched on his computer. "I have a meeting today, so we'll have to have lunch later on."

"Sure, that's fine." Priscilla said, as she sat down by her desk. "Say, Nathan, what do you think it would be like if you were in charge?"

"What? Priscilla..." Nathan said, a little flustered.

"Hey, relax. I know it's a lot of responsibility, but I'm sure you could do it. And I'd still be here, too!" Priscilla said, trying to smile. Yet, Nathan didn't seem reassured at all, and Priscilla's smile faltered.

"Well, it'll be a long while before that happens. I have a lot of other stuff I need to take care of." Nathan said.

"Like what?" Priscilla asked. "Is it to do with you going out at night?"

"It's related to that. I wish I could tell you more, but I was sworn to secrecy. Don't worry, it's nothing sinister!" Nathan said. "It's nothing that could put you in danger. If it was, I'd never go!"

"Aww, you're so sweet. Now if you could stop wearing mismatched socks, then life would be perfect." Priscilla said. After another kiss, she left the office. Clearly, Nathan wasn't prepared to takeover Albion Inc just yet. Hopefully, she could persuade him, but without making herself seem greedy.

Nathan, on the other hand, knew what she wanted him to do. And his father had indeed lost his passion for his work. He'd never refuse Nathan offering to take over the company. Yet, if he was CEO, how could he handle that whilst fighting Shadows? He couldn't just leave the others behind.

Tonight, they'd meet up again. Perhaps they'd be able to meet the Holy Cross again, and form a secret alliance just as planned. Just then, his phone rang, and soon, Nathan got into full swing.

_Real People Offices_

Stella was late today, claiming she had a dentist's appointment to go to. So, when it came to lunchtime, Amara decided to sit with Karen, Colette and Lucy for a change. Juan wanted to join them, but the table only had four seats, much to his disappointment. However, he did notice a rather fetching woman from the gardening magazine downstairs.

"So, Amara, you need to tell me all about this Zao fellow. Is he handsome? What does he do? Does he still have a full set of teeth?" Karen asked.

"Hey, don't ask so many questions!" Amara said, blushing. "Well, yes, he's very handsome. He's a fisherman, following in his grandpa's footsteps. And I don't think his teeth are false, so bonus points there."

"You're so lucky! I wish I could find someone cute!" Colette said.

"Colette, all a guy would have to do is compliment every single outfit you wear. Then you'd be putty in his hands!" Lucy said, as Colette playfully smacked her shoulder.

"Well, you all know what my track record with men is. I'm staying single for a very long time!" Karen said. "None of them were like the one I really wanted to be with."

"You keep mentioning that. Who was that?" Amara asked.

"Last time I met him, he was about to study business abroad. I wanted him to stay here, but he wanted to see the world…it's silly, isn't it? We fell out over that. But I really wanted him with me." Karen said, drinking her water.

"Maybe you could get in contact with him again! What's his name?" Colette asked.

"Roger. I do wonder what he's doing now, but I doubt he'd want to see me again. We had a rather ugly break-up. Maybe he's found another woman by now. He could have kids, even!" Karen said.

"It was similar with my last boyfriend. Karl, his name was. I used to think he was the one, but then he got really obsessive and clingy, so I had to break it up." Amara said, eyes to the floor. "Still, I'm hoping things work out with Zao!"

"What about you, Lucy? Is there a special someone for you?" Colette asked, as she flipped through the pages of a fashion magazine.

"No, not really." Lucy said, hesitantly. "Knowing me, I'll probably stay single forever. Looks like I'm gonna be one of those women who say they're married to their career!"

"I think I'll join you in that. From now on, I'll be a spinster!" Karen said, cheerfully. Amara laughed, and the four of them continued their conversation. Nearly two weeks had passed since she started, and now she couldn't imagine working without the others. Yet she had something else to do, too…

_Secret Base_

Kyle still wasn't at the computer - but everyone else was chilling out in the living room.

"Oh, hello again!" Priscilla said. "We were just discussing Aimee's birthday party."

"Sounds nice! How old will you be?" Amara asked.

"Eighteen." Aimee said. "It's tomorrow, so we'll probably just stay here and have a cake. Not really much else we can do."

"Maybe we could help out! We could bring over some stuff from our world, and really make it a party to remember!" Amara said.

"Um, Amara, are you sure party planning is at the top of our priorities?" Nathan asked.

"Hey, in a world like this, we need all the fun we can get. C'mon, let's give the girl something to look forward to!" Blaine said.

"Well, it can't be worse than my seventeenth." Serena said, looking glum.

"What happened then?" Dan asked. Serena didn't respond, and simply sighed. "That bad, huh?"

"Where's Kyle?" Amara asked. Aimee and the others looked at each other, and sighed.

"Sir Kyle seems reluctant to leave the safety of his room. Yet, I can sense that he will return to us shortly. We must remain patient, and give him time to recover." Seraphina said, in her usual dramatic rhetoric.

"Oh yeah!" Dan said. "Remember what we were talking about yesterday? Turns out the weird guy in bandages is gone!"

"Oh?" Amara still didn't understand why he was there. Come to mention it, there were still many things she did not know, but now, it felt really important. "Weird..."

"I sensed something malevolent has transpired with his soul. It has been suppressed, overwhelmed..." Seraphina said. "Yet, there is nothing we can do for now. If there is nothing else, you four are more than welcome to do some training."

"Great! Where are we off to this time?" Amara said. "The park again?"

"How about the power tunnels? Not the same bit you were at last time. They're still trying to repair it. This time, you'll go to the ones near the Nova Albion area." Priscilla said. "Oh, and I'm going with you!"

"Awesome! What about the rest of you?" Nathan asked.

"Well, Dan's staying here to look after Kyle, so me and Seraphina will investigate the park. Perhaps the Holy Cross will return there, expecting you guys!" Aimee said. "Priscilla, don't let them stay there too long, alright? The Power Tunnels are really hot near busy areas!"

"I know! Don't worry, I'll look after you guys. Let's go!" Priscilla said, and she led Amara and the others through the NDD.

_Power Tunnels, Nova Albion Section_

"These are like sewers. Except gigantic! So they're video game sewers!" Serena said. "At least these ones don't have that terrible smell or diseased rats."

"Yeah!" Priscilla said. "So - oh crap." Four Ornatu Legion members burst into the room - all females.

"Intruders! This is a restricted area! You must leave at once!" said a short Asian girl with long black hair, with a thick fringe.

"You might want to leave first!" Amara said, as she summoned Hathor.

"Oh god, it's them!" said a dark-skinned girl with purple shoulder-length hair. "We're finished!"

"Don't say that! We can do this!" said a girl with short green hair. "We've got some good Personas!"

"Yeah! We'll show you real power!" said a girl with blonde curly hair. "Come on, Moh Shuvuu!" The artificial Persona she summoned looked like a girl with bird features. The green-haired girl summoned 'Leanan Sidhe', some kind of blonde beauty holding scissors. The purple haired girl called upon 'Fortuna', a female with a spinning wheel in her torso, and the Asian girl called upon 'Uzume', some kind of Japanese goddess with fans and purple circle emblems on her body.

"Hama!" said the girl with Uzume, but the cards failed to kill Blaine. He laughed, and managed to beat her with one Zionga.

"Miharu!" shouted the woman with Leanan Sidhe. "I'll make you pay for that! Tentarafoo!" A strange swirl effect emerged around everyone, and Serena looked dazed and befuddled after it.

"Aques!" she screamed, hitting Blaine. "...Wait, what happened?"

"What the hell, Serena? I'm the _good_ Blaine!" he said, howling in pain.

"Confusion! Tentarafoo is a nasty attack. It's lucky only one person was hit. Quickly, finish her!" Priscilla said.

"Okay! Agilao!" Amara yelled, and the flames were enough to defeat her.

"Bummer! Miharu and Emma are out. What are we gonna do, Tess?" said the blonde girl.

"Calm down, Brittany. We can still do this. Your luck's about to run out! Magaru!" 'Tess' shouted, as Fortuna sent forth wind blasts at everyone. Yet, Magaru's strength paled in comparison to Magarula, and Nathan was completely unaffected. "What the - we're dead!"

"Let's finish this! Aques!" Serena shouted, but in her confusion, she hit Priscilla.

"Let _me_ do this one, please. Otherwise, you'll take all of us out. Frozen Tempest!" Uathach unleashed a number of ice crystals to rain down on Tess, and this was enough to defeat her. "Nathan, will you take this one?"

"N-no! I'm not giving up! Um...glory to Ornatu, and stuff!" Brittany panicked, but was able to muster up the courage to cast Bufu.

"Ow!" Amara shouted. It hurt a bit, but since it was a low-class Ice spell, it wasn't enough to render her helpless.

"I'll put an end to this. Garula!" Nathan yelled, and the supreme gusts of wind put a stop to her. All the red energy faded from their bodies…

"Like with last time, we'll have to leave them here. I don't think there's a safe place we can keep them." Priscilla said. "Now, let's get away from here and fight some Shadows!"

"Yeah!" Serena said. "I just hope they don't have that Tentacle Trifle or whatever move..."

"I'm sure I saw that on the menu somewhere..." Amara said. "Zao's probably eaten it. More than once, too."

_Further Ahead_

There were many varieties of Shadows, but the team were able to defeat them all. Using a variety of elemental attacks, weapon strikes, enhance spells, status magic and healing, they soldiered on. The power tunnels were a lot less stressful this time, since there wasn't someone holding them hostage.

"I haven't seen any other Ornatu Legion members since those girls. You think anyone will come looking for them?" Blaine asked.

"Probably. Since we left them alive, they'll know it wasn't Shadows who did it." Priscilla said. Just then, someone was sent flying backwards, towards them. They recognised his red hair right away.

"Urgh! You bastards won't get away with that!" the red haired man said.

"N-Nathan!" Priscilla said, stunned. Other Nathan turned around, and he gasped.

"Priscilla! Is it really you?" he asked. "Don't tell me-"

"Yes! I have the same power as you!" she yelled, and she immediately embraced him, holding him tight. "Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you!"

"I missed you too! Ten years, and I never forgot about you!" Other Nathan said. "We can talk later! There's Shadows coming after me!"

"Right!" Priscilla said, as she let go. "Let me help you!" The Shadows that had sent Other Nathan flying were ghastly monsters, in the form of floating dice. "Mabufula!" Rather conveniently, this caused them to crash to the ground, some of them were even frozen.

"Alright! Maragilao time!" Amara said, as Hathor blasted them all with fire. Yet, this had absolutely no effect. "Oh."

"Mazionga!" Blaine screamed, and two of the five Shadows were defeated, the other three hanging on - and they arose, yet were very weak. "Ha! I'll let the lovebirds finish this one."

"Okay! **Ice Tornado**!" Other Setanta and Uathach held hands, and span at incredible speeds, generating a tornado charged with extremely cold ice. This was more than enough to destroy the sinister dice, and they broke into many pieces.

"You were fantastic!" Other Nathan said, impressed. "I'm so glad you're here!"

"It's about time we found you again. A lot has happened since we last met!" Nathan said.

"Yeah. I mean, we know who the Commander is. Me." Blaine said, downcast. "The other me that killed your dad."

"That's right. Not you, though. Ten years ago, they tried to make me join the Ornatu Legion. I thought it would work out great, if I was able to contribute to eliminating the Shadows for good." Other Nathan said.

"So what happened?" Amara asked.

"Well..." Other Nathan said.

_2002, Nova Albion_

In a high school recently used to host prestigious exams, the first Ornatu Legion members would be created. The young people were scared, but knowing that they could work to get their city back to normal, believed in Aeternus.

Josephine Johnson, one of the Ater Vox, was the one presiding over this particular initiation. On the surface, she seemed very enthusiastic, and optimistic about the salvation the Legion could bring.

Nathan, eighteen years old, was ready to join them. Priscilla and his father were there with him, outside the auditorium. The former was looking very anxious, whilst the latter looked eerily apathetic.

"Nathan Albion, it is your turn. Come inside." Josephine's voice said over the intercom.

"Nathan!" Priscilla said. "Will you be alright? This Persona thing sounds dangerous! If you die…then what will I do?"

"Priscilla, it will be alright. I'll come back, and I'll be able to save you and father!" Nathan said.

"Be careful." Reginald said. "From now on, you will be fighting day after day."

"Yes, father." Nathan said, as he walked into the auditorium. Inside, it was just as he remembered it, except on the stage were several imposing black machines. Several young people wearing the Ornatu Legion uniform were sitting in the seats, some with completely dead looks in their eyes. This sent a shiver down Nathan's spine...

"Ah, there you are. We've been looking forward to having you!" The woman on the stage said. Wearing her light brown hair up in a bun, she had eerily pink eyes, and a mole beneath her lip. She had a rather pointed nose, and was rather slim for a woman of her age. "I'm Josephine Johnson, of the Ater Vox. Your father and I have spoken a great deal about you!"

"Really?" Nathan asked. "Are you and him friends?"

"I suppose you could say that!" Josephine said, giggling. "I was sorry to hear about your mother's untimely passing. Now that Shadows are prevalent all over the city, it is up to people like you to stop them. You're rather handsome, just like your father. I'm hoping you'll be just as brave, too."

"...Thank you." Nathan said, a little disturbed by that comment. Josephine had a rather creepy smile, and Nathan started to get a bad feeling about this. Perhaps it'd go away.

"Oh, and this is the Commander, the only one so far to wield a natural Persona!" Josephine said. "Well, we're still hoping to find others. This is Blaine Spencer!" Josephine pointed to a tall man in a corner, wearing a red uniform. He didn't look much older than Nathan, but he had a weary look in his face. "He's not very talkative. Don't expect you and him to be kindred spirits."

"I understand. So, shall we do this? I can't wait to show my father!" Nathan said.

"Of course! Let me get started, you handsome little thing." Josephine said. Nathan gulped - she did know he had a girlfriend, right? Hopefully, she was just a flirt. She walked over to the machine, and it started roaring with activity, all sorts of flashing lights appearing on it. It resembled some kind of futuristic cockpit, out of a morning cartoon.

"Am I supposed to get inside?" Nathan asked. Josephine nodded, and the lid opened. Nathan got inside, and sat on the cold seat.

"This will be painful, but you will survive. I wouldn't dream of letting you slip through my fingers!" Josephine said, cackling to herself. Blaine just looked at her, frowning, but Josephine ignored him.

"Finally! What Persona will I get?" Nathan asked - but suddenly, something felt wrong. His vision temporarily went black, and he started hearing all sorts of dark voices.

"Join us...kill us...become one of us...Shadows...!"

"Huh?" Nathan's head began to hurt, and he started screaming.

"Ms Johnson, should we stop?" one of the other employees asked.

"No. This isn't an unusual reaction. No one _dare _halt the initiation!" Josephine barked, and the employees nodded. Nathan suddenly felt like he was flying away.

"What's going on?" Nathan screamed. All he could see was darkness…and a blue butterfly fluttering in front of him. It spoke to him, about the power of a Persona, and how truth would shatter the falsehood that was trying to invade his body. This entity called itself Philemon.

Just then, he awakened, and something happened. As more dark power flowed into the machine, something burst out of Nathan and tore the machine to pieces. "What?" Josephine yelled. "It can't be?"

The power that emerged...Nathan somehow instantly knew it's name. 'Persona'. The Persona proclaimed itself to be 'Setanta', and as everyone gasped at what was happening, tons of Shadows emerged.

"So you had a true Persona all along! Do you understand how hard it is to make those machines?" Josephine screamed. "Now you have no choice! Join us!"

"I..." Nathan stammered, watching. Just then, his Persona attacked the Shadows, defeating them. Nathan had seen the Ornatu Legion battle Shadows, but Setanta was truly greater than them. "I refuse!"

"Why do you reject me?" Josephine yelled. "You're a filthy coward, just like your father! Blaine, get them! I have to take care of something!" Blaine stepped forward, holding out his gun, as Josephine ran through the NDD. The Ornatu Legion members were fleeing, and suddenly, Priscilla ran in.

"Nathan? What's going on?" Priscilla yelled.

"Priscilla, get out of here! It's not safe!" Nathan shouted.

"Nathan, what do you mean? I can't just leave you on your own!" Priscilla said, as many people shoved past her.

"Please, go! Wait for me! I'll be back, I promise!" Nathan yelled, as Setanta brandished his spear.

"Alright! Please, be safe!" Priscilla turned away, running. Nathan watched, as Blaine stepped forward. It was just the two of them.

"Ever since I came in here, I had a terrible feeling..." Nathan said, angry. "You're the ones who created Shadows, aren't you? What the hell are you guys doing?"

"I can't tell you that. Don't try anything funny, and I won't hurt you!" Blaine said, as he called upon his own Persona - the mighty Tlaloc, who wielded a giant hammer. Nathan saw a pole lying on the ground, and quickly grabbed it. Somehow, it felt like a good weapon.

Nathan tried hitting Blaine with a Garu spell, which caused some damage. At this point, Blaine had yet to reach his current level, and thus only knew a few base spells. Blaine attacked with a Zio spell, and thus, they kept exchanging elemental spells, plus a few weapon attacks.

"Phew...you're good at this." Blaine said, panting for breath.

"I won't lose!" Nathan said. "Wind!"

"Ha!" Blaine dodged a Garu spell, and darted towards the entrance.

"Get back here!" Nathan shouted. He quickly ran out of the auditorium, and couldn't see anyone. However, he thought he heard a scream. Running down towards the entrance, he saw the one thing he never wanted to see. His father's dead body, in a pool of his own blood. Blaine was standing there, gun in hand. Without a word, Blaine ran out of the building, whilst Nathan fell to his knees, and clutched his dead father's hand.

Now, the future was wrought with despair.

_Power Tunnels, 2012_

"Oh my god..." Nathan said. "So that's how father died."

"Why? He tried to save Bianca's uncle! Why did he have to kill him?" Blaine shouted.

"I don't know. After that, Aeternus took over the company. They had a deal to produce technology together, but I don't see why they had to kill him to seize the business!" Other Nathan said.

"Where did you go?" Priscilla asked. "I couldn't find you anywhere! I couldn't even leave the house, with all those Shadows! I was afraid you'd-"

"I'm sorry. I couldn't go back home, it was too risky. They were expecting me to come back, so I couldn't come see you. I didn't have any other way to get in touch, so I had to hide in the Power Tunnels. Up until now, my plan was to get stronger and find a way to destroy Aeterus from within!" Other Nathan said.

"Please, don't leave me again!" Priscilla begged, holding Other Nathan's hand. "You can join us! The two of us will fight Shadows together, and we can finally save the city! Together! Just don't leave me!" Amara was surprised to see her so desperate…would she be like this if she and Zao were separated for a decade?

"I won't! Now that I've found you and the others, I can finally have my revenge!" Other Nathan said, and he held Priscilla in his arms. She quietly sobbed, as Nathan lightly stroked her hair.

"Isn't it wonderful to bring people together?" Serena asked. "C'mon, let's go back to the base and tell everyone!"

"Yeah! The Holy Cross might become our allies, and now we've got both Nathans! We can't lose!" Amara said, full of cheer. "C'mon, everyone!"

"I guess this is what true love must look like." Blaine asked.

"Yeah. Jealous?" Nathan said, grinning.

"...Maybe I am." Blaine said, walking on ahead. Nathan shrugged, and all of them returned to the Secret Base.

_Secret Base_

"And that's what happened." Other Nathan said, as he finished his story again. "Now that I finally met you guys again, I'd love to join you all!"

"That's not a problem at all! Although we don't have much space. We've only got five bedrooms." Aimee said.

"Nathan can share with me!" Priscilla said, with a huge smile. Amara had to admit, seeing her so happy made her happy as well. "I can't believe it, we're finally together again!"

"Yes! Thanks to my other self. In that world, you and I never parted. Kinda means we're meant to be, huh?" Other Nathan said, laughing. Amara couldn't help but notice Blaine glare at him.

"Well, as long as you two are happy, that's all that matters!" Dan said. "Everything's moving so fast now. I just wish Kyle was okay."

"I'm sure he'll be okay soon!" Aimee said, standing up. "Good job, everyone! Now that we're growing more and more, we might be able to pull off something huge soon!"

"Like what?" Amara asked. "Breaking down the barrier?"

"Actually, that would probably be a bad idea at the moment. If the Shadows spread throughout the entire world, we'd never be able to stop all of them. The thought of the entire planet being like this city is too much. I won't allow that!" Aimee said, determined.

"All is well. Two lovers are reunited, and shall fight together, no longer in pursuit of another. Yet, there is the ever present danger of being dependent on the other, unable to find one's own wings." Seraphina said.

"You're such a poet, Stella - I mean, Seraphina!" Amara said. "You must get it from your mom's - wait, never mind."

"What?" Serena asked. "You know something we don't?"

"Amara Furaha, you are a curious one. We shall have to discuss what you know later, but now you must go home now and rest. Also, no matter how fortunate we are, never let your guard down." Seraphina said, looking straight into Amara's eyes.

"Uh...okay!" Amara said, running through the NDD.

_Amara's Apartment_

"I'm so sleepy. Bedtime!" Amara said, as she crashed onto her sofa. Fighting in the other world always made her tired, and right now, she didn't even feel like getting to her bed, or out of her clothes. Although the sofa was rather comfy, especially with the new cushions her father gave her. So, she soon dozed off.

"Argh!" At about 1am, her phone made a beeping noise - a text message. "Who the hell wants to text me now?" Grabbing her phone angrily, she soon felt her rage dissipate. It was from Zao.

**Hey how r u? want to go somewhere tomorrow night? **

Amara replied with the most elegant and ladylike reply she could muster at one o'clock.

**OMG HELL YES! 3**


	24. Chapter 24: Tears of the Sunset

**Chapter 24: Tears of the Sunset**

_Aeternus Meeting Room_

The Holy Cross were assembled here again on Thursday morning, much to their reluctance. They had yet to find proof that Aeternus were the masterminds behind the Shadows, but asking one of the Ater Vox would be a waste of time. They were too powerful for them to face.

"Is the Commander coming?" Alastair asked. "He still hasn't returned to headquarters."

"Who knows. Maybe he's coming here. I hope he's alright." Bianca said.

"I have a bad feeling about this meeting." Kazuya said. "Oh! The hologram!" As before, Nihane Kronos' face appeared, much to the fright of the Holy Cross.

"It's been a little while since we last spoke. Quite frankly, it should have been longer! Talking to you is a drain on my valuable time." Nihane said. "Now then. The trap failed, although that is the fault of the Commander. After that, you haven't found either of the runaway Persona users. Just what are we hiring you for?"

"To fight Shadows and protect humanity?" Alastair said. "That is our goal, after all."

"Don't try to be smart with me, if you want to spare your brain from strain. We need more than just you four. Clearly, they're too good for you to beat, so they must be something special. Instead, I'm going to have you do something else!" Nihane said.

"What's that, Nihane?" Richard asked. "Go on vacation?"

"I'm not dignifying that with a response. You are aware that the Commander has been missing for several days, yes? Would you have any insight as to why he has abandoned his duties?" Nihane asked, his orange eyes filled with sheer animosity.

"Um...no." Bianca said, gulping.

"I figured as much. He may utterly detest every second with you - and rightfully so - but you four are the closest to him. So, your duty is to scour the entire city and locate him. Let's see, you can start in Saragel. I believe the Commander's last order was to send you all there?" Nihane said. Richard shuddered - Nihane was the one person that he couldn't joke around.

"Alright. We'll head out right away. I promise, we'll find him. If we encounter any rebels, what should we do?" Alastair asked.

"Considering your level of success, ignore them. Now hurry up and find the Commander!" Nihane's face disappeared, and the Holy Cross sat there, panicking.

"Do you think the Commander knows about what the rebels told us?" Bianca said, her face pale.

"Perhaps. We need to go, and now! Follow me!" Alastair said, and the Holy Cross left the room.

_Real People Offices_

"Oh, crap!" Amara said, as she realised something. Lucy looked up, curious.

"What's wrong?" Stella asked.

"Well, I told Zao I was going to go out with him tonight, but then I remembered. Today is Aimee's birthday party! She's a friend of mine." Amara said, hoping Stella would understand. Stella nodded, and Lucy just looked at them, confused.

"Well, Zao seems like an easy-going fellow. If you just tell him you forgot you had plans and go out another night, I'm sure he'd be okay with that." Stella said. "Honestly, you're worrying too much!"

"I know. Crap, I didn't even get Aimee a gift yet. I suppose I could pick something up at the mall. I'm meeting the others there, too." Amara said. "Maybe some jewellery, or something out of Rosa Candida?"

"I'm sure any gift would do!" Stella said. "Honestly, as far as I can see, any gift you pick will make her happy. Perhaps you could give her one of your paintings, as well?"

"Well, that's not a bad idea. I do have one I did of the view of Lucille Hill, she'd like that. Maybe I'll just help the others pick out gifts. Lord knows what Blaine will get her!" Amara said, laughing. Relaxed, she got back to her work. Lucy shrugged and went back to her own work.

_Solar Ray Mall_

Amara arrived with Stella, who came to the mall to purchase some scented candles. Stella seemed pretty happy, but Amara still felt guilty for having to call off her date with Zao.

"The candles help create the ideal environment for divine realisations. Also, they do give the place a certain flair..." Stella said, not noticing Amara's unease.

"Oh, hey!" Serena said, running up. "So this is _the_ Stella Cleon! She does look like Seraphina!"

"Ah, yes. Don't worry, I'm already aware of this other world. You must be Serena Agnethe!" Stella and Serena shook hands, and soon Serena started bombarding her with questions, mostly about her exam results.

"Yes, Serena, the cupcakes you're baking will turn out alright, and Kyle will love them." Stella said, already exhausted.

"Okay, Serena, that's enough. Hey, there's Nathan!" Amara said, as Nathan ran over, waving, with Blaine close behind him. "This is Stella! You know, Seraphina!"

"Ah, I see the resemblance. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Nathan said, shaking Stella's hand. "Although we've already met."

"Correct. Yet, I know nothing of Seraphina, but I can tell you the significance of that name. My mother's...friend is called Seraphina. She was like another mother to me!" Stella said.

"I'm Blaine. So we're gonna find gifts for Aimee, right?" Blaine asked. "Time to check out the liquor store, then!"

"Blaine, she's only eighteen. I don't think that'd be her sort of thing. How old were you when you first had beer?" Nathan said.

"Well duh! Fifteen!" Blaine said, rolling his eyes. "Don't look so surprised! You know where I came from. You think I was gonna wait until I was 18? I at least waited two more years than everyone else!"

"Wow." Nathan said. "That is some _hard_ living."

"Anyway, guys, I'll grab a painting from my house for my gift. Let's all pick out something good!" Amara said, excited.

_Later_

After about an hour of browsing the stores, the gang finally settled on their gifts. Serena got a rather cute panda toy, Nathan got some flowers from Bianca's store, and Blaine got a box of chocolates.

"Um, Blaine, these chocolates have alcohol in them!" Serena said.

"Yeah, so? What's the worst that could happen?" Blaine said, shrugging. "Come on, there's only enough alcohol in one of these babies to knock out a parrot. Me and Dan discovered that when we wound up in the neighbour's garden one night..."

"Such a wonderful end to an evening. Well, we should get going. Amara, what painting are you going to take?" Nathan asked, carrying a bouquet of yellow and white flowers.

"One I did of the view from Lucille Hill. Aimee's gonna love it!" Amara said, even more excited. She had spent quite a bit of time painting it, even going without sleep. Yet, it was worth it.

"Well, I hope it goes well. Good luck tonight-Huh?!" Stella suddenly panicked, and her eyes widened.

"Holy crap! Is she having a vision?!" Serena shouted.

I'm sensing something!" Stella said, holding her head. "The Sun, Moon, Strength and Magician...mirror reflections...tonight, in a holy building...darkness arising...the path of eternity nears..."

"What the hell?" Blaine said, confused. "Hey Stella, you okay?"

"I don't know. It's just like my first reading with Amara! Something else is influencing the reading!" Stella shouted. "Please be careful! Good luck!" With that, she ran off.

"Wait, wasn't there something affecting Seraphina's power?" Serena asked. "Maybe it's those cloaked people!"

"Maybe that's right. Stella said she could tell the cloaked man affected her first reading. Yet she didn't mention him this time. Maybe it's the woman?" Amara said. She couldn't tell what was going on, but she was curious by the mention of a holy building. There were plenty of churches in town, but she couldn't think of one at the moment. Darkness arising could mean anything, but a path of chaos? Something was going to happen tonight. And not just a birthday party.

_Secret Base_

Everyone was sitting at the table - even Kyle, although he seemed more distant than usual. A birthday cake was on the table, and the candles were still lit.

"Oh, look, they're here! We can finally blow the candles out!" Dan said. "It's only been like twenty minutes..."

"Hey, it was worth the wait. Now we can all celebrate! Oh, and they brought gifts, too!" Other Nathan said. Kyle just looked at the cake, with a vacant expression. The flames seemed to have him deep in thought. Dan looked at him, worried, but Kyle didn't respond at all.

"Thank you all for coming! I'd ask you to sit down, but there aren't enough chairs!" Aimee said. "So…stand around! Amara and the others stood around the table, and everyone cheered as Aimee blew out the candles.

"Did you make a wish?" Priscilla asked.

"Yeah! I'm not telling, though!" Aimee said, with a coy smile.

"That cake looks delicious. I hope there's enough for everyone." Nathan said. So, after enjoying a very delightful sponge cake, the gang gave Aimee their presents.

"Oh, these chocolates look nice!" Aimee said. "And the Panda is adorable! Aww, I love him!" Serena and Blaine looked proud of themselves. "Nathan, these flowers are gorgeous! Where did you get them?"

"Bianca - yes, that Bianca - sells them in front of Solar Ray Mall!" Nathan said. "But Amara's got the best gift." Aimee gasped as Amara unveiled her painting - an absolutely beautiful view of the city from Lucille Hill, with just about every detail as accurate as possible.

"How long did it take you to do that?" Aimee asked. "Don't tell me you spent all day on it!"

"Oh, no, I painted it a few months back. I hope you like it!" Amara said, beaming. Aimee squealed as she took the painting, and hung it up on the wall.

"Amara, thank you! I've not seen the hill for ten years! I still remember me and my brother Karl playing there. It was so nice before all of this happened..." Aimee gazed into the painting for a while, whilst Amara realised something. She had never met Aimee in her world. Yet, her brother was called Karl, the same name as her ex-boyfriend. They looked quite alike, as well. She seriously started to consider her ex-boyfriend being the very same Karl, and gulped.

"Well then, let's stay here for today and have some fun! There's still some cake left, and- " Priscilla started saying, but then she noticed Kyle's face. He looked anxious, as if he wanted to say something.

"Kyle, what is it?" Amara asked.

"I'm sorry. I really need to tell you what happened when Blaine and Serena - the other ones - captured me. See, I don't remember most of what Blaine was telling me. He just wanted me to keep you guys distracted so he could ask me questions." Kyle said, shaking.

"Kyle..." Serena said, going over to him. "Please, don't stress yourself out. You can tell me anything, even if you're not the same Kyle I go to school with."

"I'm sorry, Serena." Kyle said. "I was wrong. I do know you. I just forgot. The other Serena reminded me of the day my mother died. Listen."

Dan nodded. "Let him speak. He needs to let it all out. It's not easy, but it's better than bottling it up."

"Thanks, Dan. It began six years ago, when I was still in school."

_Six Years Ago, Kyle's Home  
_

Kyle was in his bedroom, crying his eyes out. The previous day at school, Shadows burst into his gym class, and he discovered his Persona ability when all seemed lost. He narrowly defeated them, but now all the school could talk about was his enrolment in the Ornatu Legion. After all, he had a rare gift they did not - a natural Persona.

The worst part was listening to his teacher's desperate pleas. Until that day, they had been calm, quiet, and collected teachers who rarely spoke of personal matters. But today, when they called him to the teacher's office to discuss Ornatu Legion membership, they became almost fanatical. He heard horrifying tales of Shadows murdering their families, destroying their homes, and ruining the future of their pupils. To them, Kyle was a beacon of hope, regardless of his age or disability.

Kyle fled to his home, able to destroy the Shadows with Hephaestus. Before he reached home, though, he noticed a cut on his hand. It had come from a furious battle with a Shadow, and he was still a novice at fighting. He intended to put a plaster on it, but the pain was too intense, and he started sobbing. Just then, a girl his age came up behind him.

"What?! What do you want?!" Kyle screamed.

"Calm down. I'm going to take care of your wound." The girl said. She was taller than him, and had short blonde hair. She didn't seem like all his fellow students, who at this point were just like the teachers. Most of them barely remembered the days before the Shadows. He felt a soothing light around his body, and his cut disappeared. "How's that?"

"It's gone...thank you." Kyle said.

"Don't mention it. And don't listen to your teachers, either. You make your own mind up." She ran off, and Kyle stared at her. When he got back home, he began crying, desperately wishing for the days were his mother and father were still together. He hadn't heard from his dad in years, and Kyle couldn't bring himself to ask his mother about him. His mother was the only person he could talk to these days, but she had no idea of his power.

Just then, Kyle heard his mother screaming downstairs.

"Mom?"

Kyle left his room, worried, and looked downstairs. His mother Daphne was talking to a tall man with red hair, who looked rather mad.

"For the last time! My son is not a Persona user! He's too young to fight the Shadows! I won't let you take him from me!" Daphne yelled.

"Is that so? We've never needed permission before, and we sure as heck won't need it now! Your ideals went up in smoke years ago. Time for you to do the same!" The red haired man said.

"Mom! Watch out!" Kyle yelled. It was too late, however. The house quickly became engulfed in flames. The next few moments happened so fast, as he found himself outside, his house ablaze. The neighbours were fleeing, screaming about Shadows.

"Kyle...?" a voice said. It was the girl from before. Before her was a mystical female with a black dress, blonde and white hair with a moon symbol on her head.

"Where's...mom?" Kyle said. He began coughing, having inhaled some of the smoke.

"She's right here." The girl said. "She's not breathing. Don't worry, I can help her!" Her Persona began sending the same soothing light into his mother's body. "I'll find a place for us to hide later, so just be patient!"

"Ah, so there you are. Join us, Kyle. You know what the Shadows will do if you let your power go to waste." the red haired man said.

"No, Pierre! He won't!" the girl yelled.

"Fine, then you leave me no choice. Kyle, take a good long look at your mother. I think she's starting to wake up! She could use some heat to freshen her up, hmm?" 'Pierre' said.

Kyle could only see scorching hot flames in place of his mother's body. Horrifying screams rung through his ears. Pierre suddenly froze on the spot, and a gush of water out of nowhere hit him. Pierre didn't react, despite the powerful beating he took. When Kyle looked back to his mother, all that was there was a pile of ash. His mother's ashes were blown away by the wind, lost forever...

_Present Day_

"The next thing I remember after that is being at Lorean Tower. All I knew was that my mom was dead, and I had a Persona. Aimee found me crying..." Kyle said, lookin right at her. "From then on, I was fighting the Shadows with her. I...can't believe it took me this long to remember."

"So my other self saved your life..." Serena said. "No wonder she wanted to save you so much."

"You unfortunate child. For six long years, you have been in constant danger." Seraphina said, and she was being sincere. It was often hard to read her emotions, but Amara knew she was telling the truth.

"Don't worry about me. You guys have your reasons for fighting the Shadows too, right? Especially you, Dan." Kyle said, as he looked into Dan's eyes. "Thanks for putting up with me. I'm gonna get back on that computer and get us all into a party mood!"

"That's my man!" Dan said. Everyone seemed happier now, and Aimee started munching on the chocolates.

"These have a strange flavour..." Aimee said.

"Yeah, those ones have brandy in 'em. Good, aren't they?" Blaine said.

"Um...yes! They're very unique!" Aimee said. "You guys can eat them, too. I don't think I could get through these by myself." As the group made idle chatter, whilst Kyle found music to play in the background, Amara started to feel like the whole rebel team were a family. Kyle was a lot happier now, actually laughing and smiling with the others. Perhaps remembering the past was for the best. Now

Just as Serena spat out one of the chocolates, Seraphina suddenly held her head, in pain. "Seraphina! What is it?!" Other Nathan asked.

"Other...Sun...Outside...Home...Go...Now!" Seraphina said, and after this, she looked pale. "Ugh...that wasn't Hecate! Something else was communicating with me!"

"Huh?! It's just like Stella!" Amara shouted. "Those cloaked people! They're the ones doing it! I just know it!"

"That means we have to go, right?" Kyle said. "It's about time I got out of here, anyway. Wait, where are we going?"

"Other Sun...that must refer to the Amara native to our world. 'Home' must refer to the Furaha family home. Lady Amara, you must guide us there. This cannot be ignored."

"Alright. I never imagined going back to my old house in this world. It must be empty now... Let's go!" Amara said. After locating the nearest NDD, the team headed for the Furaha Family Home.

_Outside the Furaha House_

"It looks just like back home!" Amara said. Everything was still in order…the garden was being well looked after, even. "But my dad's dead, isn't he?"

"Perhaps someone else lives here now. I can't see anyone here." Nathan looked around. "Your other self hasn't shown up since we fought that Shadow at Augustus Square. Wait, is there a back garden?"

"Yeah. We'd have to go through the house to get to it, though. I have a key, but I don't know if it'd work." Amara said, taking out a key from her pocket. "I never thought I'd be using it like this." After unlocking the gate, the team entered the family home.

"What the - everything's the same! What's going on?!" Amara shouted. Everyone else was impressed by the large house, but Amara wasn't in any mood to show them around.

"Amara, let's go to the back garden. We'll find our answer there." Kyle said.

"Okay." Amara said.

_Back Garden_

The large garden consisted of many beautiful features, such as an outside dining table and a fountain. Sitting on a bench by the fountain…was the Other Amara. She was gazing at the sky, lost in her thoughts.

"You!" Amara yelled. Her other self gasped, and stood up. "Why are you here?"

"That's what I was going to ask! This isn't your world, you know! Get lost!" Other Amara said.

"Amara - the other one - cool your jets. Seraphina just got a weird psychic message from the weird lady in the black cloak. She said you'd be here!" Dan said.

"What?" Other Amara said. "Seraphina's the weirdo in the dress, right?"

"I do pride myself on having a unique fashion sense, so thank you." Seraphina said. Other Amara laughed a little, and relaxed.

"Well, I heard about a lot of the stuff that's been going down. What Aeternus say in the news, stuff from the townspeople. I heard you guys were at Aurelia Park and saved everyone there. Good work." Other Amara said. "Looks like Nathan joined you guys."

"Yes! We should fill you in on what's happened since we last met." Other Nathan said. The most interesting event to the Other Amara was the debacle at Lorean Tower.

"So you know Blaine is the Commander." Other Amara said. "That can't have been easy for you, but cheer up. I know you're not the same, really. Just like me and your Amara are different."

"You said Blaine killed my - your father, right?" Amara said. "We heard about what happened to Nathan's dad yesterday. Now it's your turn to talk."

"So Thursday is my day for the depressing backstory corner?" Other Amara said.

"Well, we've already had mine, so I guess today's a double bill!" Kyle said, cheery.

"Ha! You're funny, little guy. Alright, I'll tell you what happened."

_2002, Furaha Home_

Amara and her father just returned from the convention. It had all been a bit of a blur, and Amara didn't remember most of the details. However, Shadows were all around now, and it wasn't safe to go outside. Yet, the Ornatu Legion was almost ready. Soon, they'd be protected from those monsters.

"Dad, do you really think the Ornatu Legion can protect the city?" Amara asked.

"Of course, dear." Rudo said, staring vacantly outside the window. "Yet, I wonder what the future holds. How long will the city be this way?"

"Dad, c'mon. It'll be okay. You've been really weird…even before this whole thing. What's going on?"

"Amara, they want you to join the Ornatu Legion, when you're older. Nihane Kronos said he saw a lot of potential in you. I'm sorry about this…it'll be dangerous, every single day from now on."

"Dad, it'll be fine! If I can get one of those Persona things, I can save the people!" Amara said. "Besides, Mom will protect me!"

"Yes, I hope so too. Nihane promised me you'd be safe under his protection." Rudo said. "If only they could have stopped the Shadows from spreading so far."

"Too late for that now. Dad, we still have to look forward!" Amara said. "Let's enjoy tonight, okay?"

"Sure. As long as I have you, I know I have something to live for." Rudo said, managing a smile.

_Five Years Later_

"So, I'm finally going to join!" Amara said, packing her bags. "I can't wait! I hope I'm good! Maybe I'll be as strong as this Commander guy!"

"I'm sure you'll do fine. But if you're going to join the legion, I won't be able to see you for a while. Whenever you can, come home, okay?" Rudo said.

"I'll be fine! Thomas is driving me to the school, right?" Amara said. "This is going to be so cool! Me, a hero! Mother's going to be so proud!"

"She already is, Amara. Oh, there he is!" Rudo said, as Thomas Weiken, his business partner, got out of the car. "Go on ahead. I'll see you soon." So Amara, grabbing her bags, ran into Thomas' car, and waved as she left the home.

Thomas was an older man, in his sixties. Amara didn't know how he and her father met, but they had been partners and friends for as long as she could remember. Now, his brown hair had turned white, and was mostly gone. She used to tease him, but these days he wasn't quite so amused by it.

"So, are you going to wish me luck?" Amara said. Thomas didn't say anything, and Amara just sat next to him, tense.

"I have to say it now, or I'll never forgive myself. Your father was bullied into making you join the legion. He isn't best friends with Nihane or anything. Nihane just kept threatening him, until he agreed." Thomas said.

"What?!" Amara didn't understand. "But why?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I don't trust Nihane or the others. Neither should you. That's why when you get there, I want you to find out as much as you can. Don't let them do as they please."

"Okay." Amara said. Thomas finally parked, and Amara left, heading into her high school. Soon, she'd get to see her Persona.

_Auditorium_

Nihane Kronos and the Commander, Blaine Spencer, were standing on the stage alone, by the bizarre contraption that apparently gave the legion their Personas. Blaine simply looked apathetic, whilst Nihane had an odd smirk on his face.

"You Nihane?" Amara asked. "I'm Rudo's daughter."

"Oh, I know that. Your father's assets have been very useful over the years. We must thank him properly. Blaine, why don't you introduce yourself?" Nihane said, with an eerie smile.

"Blaine Spencer." Blaine said, still nonchalant. Nihane chuckled to himself, and sat down.

"He's so charismatic! It's funny, when he first started he was as enthusiastic as you are now. I hope you never lose your passion for the job!" Nihane said, and every word he said made Amara feel uneasy. No wonder Thomas didn't trust him. Yet, did Amara have a choice?

"Isn't anyone else here?" Amara asked.

"It's just the three of us. Wouldn't it be awful if Shadows came in just as we were about to give you your Persona?" Nihane said, with a dark sense of cheeriness. At this point, Amara started to wonder if Nihane was fully sane. Blaine didn't say a thing.

At this moment, Shadows appeared, surrounding the three of them.

"Speak of the devil! Blaine, would you care to do the honours?" Nihane chanted.

But then, before he could use his Persona, something strange happened. Amara felt something…ever since the convention, she'd felt a strange sensation in her body. Like something was trying to burst out. Suddenly, her body was surrounded by blue smoke, and Nihane's expression changed to one of absolutely evil delight. Amara called out the word 'Persona'.

The Persona was an Egyptian looking female wielding a large sword, and in a red dress. With several sword slashes and fire balls, she destroyed all of the blob Shadows in her path.

**I am thou. Thou art I. I cometh from the sea of thy heart. I am Sekhmet, dark warrior of the sun who fights an eternal war.**

"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!" Nihane said, clapping. Amara suddenly felt repulsed by him. "I thought I could sense the Persona talent, dormant within you. To think I wasted five years until you were old enough to fight! Now then, my dear Amara, you shall rise beyond the mere ranks of the Ornatu Legion!"

"What do you mean?" Amara asked.

"You shall truly open the path for humanity's salvation. Sekhmet's power...it shall join with Tlaloc, Setanta, and any others that we find, and save humanity! Join us, Amara! Make your father proud!"

"No! No way!" Amara screamed. "There's something wrong with you! You're making Shadows, aren't you? I can tell! This is all some game to you!"

"Honestly, shouldn't you trust the ones with power?" Nihane said, smug. "Yet, if you don't want to join us, I could let you go. Not that you can get outside the city. Of course, we did demand that your father give you to us. We can show him what happens if our demands aren't met, rather easily."

"You shut up!" Sekhmet hit Nihane with Agi, but nothing at all happened.

"Your attacks are nothing! Blaine, I have to consult the rest of the Ater Vox. Do not let her escape!" Nihane said, and he disappeared, without even using a NDD.

"Listen to me. You'll be alright as long as you do as I say, and - "

Amara grabbed a sword lying on the ground, and slashed Blaine right across the face. Stunned, Blaine dropped to his knees, seething with pain. Amara struck again, but before she could cause more injuries to his face, he knocked her away with Tlaloc.

"Argh! Get away from me! You're all freaks, all of you! Thomas was right! You bullied my father into giving you money, and making me join you! I'm not going to be your slave!" Amara shouted. Blaine started walking towards her, his face bleeding. Suddenly, a huge swarm of Shadows appeared between them.

"Dammit!" Blaine started attacking them with Tlaloc, but they just kept coming. Amara hoped they'd be too much for him to deal with, and dashed out of the school as fast as she could. Thomas' car was still there, but he was gone. She couldn't escape with that, since she didn't have a liscence. So, she ran as fast as she could to her household.

Yet, once there, Amara noticed something was wrong. The house was quiet, but her father hadn't been to work that day. Running up the stairs, she thought she smelt smoke. Her father's bedroom door was open, and standing there was Blaine, his face white with horror, and near him was something far more frightening than any Shadow.

Her father's corpse, ridden with bullets. Blood covered the white carpet, and Blaine just stood there. In her rage, Amara struck Blaine's face one more time, and before she could hit him again, he jumped out of the window, and got away.

"Daddy! I was supposed to protect you...I'm sorry..."

Amara spent that evening burying her father's body. From that night on, she had no choice but to flee, with no home to go to and no cause to fight for.

_Present Day_

"So, those scars on Blaine's face are from my sword." Other Amara said. "I can cause quite a bit of pain if I want to."

"Your other self is _scary_, Amara." Serena said. "One more thing. How did you know that I wasn't dead in this world?"

"Oh, right. I saw him a few weeks back, going into the Cathedral in Farawell with her. Before that, I'd heard a girl Persona user was going to be killed for treason. The Aeternus bastards must think they're a kingdom or something." Other Amara said.

"It might as well be, all things considered." Other Nathan said.

"I don't get it. Why would he disobey his orders?" Aimee asked. "Blaine and Dan, I'm sorry to reiterate the past, but the Commander destroyed Kanaloa, killed Rudo Furaha and Reginald Albion. But he didn't kill Serena. Also, he apparently tried to save Bianca's uncle. This doesn't make sense!"

"Wait. He was talking to me about some of that. I could have sworn he said he was framed! I don't really recall everything he said, it's what the other Serena said that I remember the most." Kyle said. Everyone looked at him in surprise.

"He's lying! He has to be!" Other Amara said. "I know he's the one who did it! Nathan, don't you think so?!"

"I don't know what to make of that, actually. I never actually saw him murder my dad. Neither did you." Other Nathan said. "Yet, he was there by their corpses."

"Kyle's right." _What?! _

Someone was on the roof. Other Serena! Before anyone could react, she jumped down, and grabbed Other Amara from behind.

"Let me go!" she screamed.

"Serena! I remember everything! Don't do this!" Kyle shouted.

"I have to do this! I'm sorry! Kyle, forgive me!" Other Serena said, holding a rag to Other Amara's mouth. _Chloroform?! _Other Serena, dragging the now drowsy Other Amara away, fled the mansion.

"Oh no..." Kyle said.

"Get back here, now!" Amara screamed, running ahead.

_Legarte, Alleyway_

"Dammit!" Other Serena reached the NDD hidden behind a dumpster, and jumped through with the Other Amara. "Hold on, I'm coming -"

"Wait!" Priscilla said. "Look, the code reset. It's blank!"

"That's right. We can't have you guys following." _Oh no, don't tell me... _

Just as Amara realised who was speaking, bolts of lightning struck everybody. Serena was hurt the most, but everyone was stunned. Other Nathan stood up, but a man from behind grabbed him and went over to the NDD.

"Blaine!" Dan yelled. "What the hell is this?!"

"I need to do this. Or things will never change." Other Blaine said, going through, Other Nathan struggling to break free.

"That bastard. I'm gonna kill him, and I mean it! Matthew's gone thanks to him, and I'm never gonna let him forget it! I'm ending him!" Dan's anger was flowing through his veins, his eyes filled with pure rage. Kyle recoiled, and looked away.

"Nathan! Oh god, no!" Priscilla, panicking, desperately banged on the NDD. "It's no good! He's taken my Nathan away!"

"Calm down. We can get him back!" Nathan said. "Seraphina, I'm sorry, but we're going to have to rely on you again!"

"That is no problem, but -"

"There is no need." The cloaked man was behind them. "They have gone to the holy building. Tonight, the path of chaos begins, after a long wait."

"What the fuck are you talking about, old man?" Blaine asked.

"Old man... Yes, I have been called that before. Before the many sins we committed took place, I was happy. Two golden eras...one was ended by tragic circumstances, the second was entirely our own fault. There will be no more golden eras for me to live through. This is all I can do. You must go to the holy building. The Cathedral in Farawell. Only then shall the long journey to bar the path of eternity begin. Farewell." The cloaked man disappeared, and everyone just stared.

"Farawell! Everyone, let's hurry up and go! Hurry up!" Priscilla shouted. "I have to save him from that monster!"

"Hey, I'm right here!" Blaine said.

"Sorry. I just have to get him back! I waited ten years for him, I'm not letting him go again!" Priscilla said.

"We'll take you to the cathedral soon. It's near the Farawell Shadow Development Centre. For you four, it was your first foray into our world." Kyle said. "I have to find the Other Serena. I need to thank her."

"Thank her for what?" Nathan asked.

"For protecting me, and for trying to save my mother." Kyle said. "Also, I think I remember something else. I need to see her and Blaine first, though."

And so, the team used the NDD code to go to Farawell's SDC, and ventured towards the cathedral. Amara didn't understand what the 'path of chaos' was, but she knew she had to save her other self. It was her duty, after all.


	25. Chapter 25: Nihilist of Janus

**Chapter 25: Nihilist of Janus**

_Outside Farawell Cathedral_

Amara remembered the day she learned the other world was New Motus City. Amongst the other landmarks, she saw the cathedral in the distance, and Serena told her the windows were different than the ones in their world. Yet, she forgot about it after a while. She didn't have any real attachment to the Cathedral in her own city, after all.

"This is like what that Stella chick said. The other versions of me, Amara, Serena and Nathan are here! What's this 'path of chaos' thing she was talking about, though?" Blaine said.

"I don't know." Nathan said. "Looks like the door's boarded up. We'll have to sneak around and find another entrance."

After walking around the back of the cathedral, the team were increasingly anxious. No sounds were coming from the cathedral, but the one door at the back was boarded up. Nathan examined the area closely, trying to plan a way in.

"Hmm. This doesn't bode well. We'll need to try another way to get in -"

"What the hell, man? Giving up already? You're so damn boring! Let me do it!" Dan took out his rifle. Tezcatlipoca appeared behind him, and roared. The ferocious Persona surged massive amounts of electric power throughout Dan's weapon, but despite the sheer amount of power, Dan did not let go.

"Wait, what is he about to do next?" Nathan asked.

"Uh, you couldn't tell?" Kyle said. "Just watch the magic happen."

Dan pushed the trigger on the rifle, and the shot that fired was deafening. It's blast felt like an earthquake, and the door immediately crumbled to tiny, smouldering pieces of wood. Serena blinked, clearly not expecting such power.

"That was...fucking _epic_, dude!" Blaine cheered. He and Dan high fived, whilst Nathan just stared at the remains of the door in disbelief.

"See, Nathan? That was awesome!" Kyle said, grinning. Nathan didn't respond, still astonished.

"Well, that's Dan for you!" Aimee said. This behaviour didn't seem surprising to her. Did Dan do this regularly?

"I can't believe that actually worked. Looks like Dan's the man! Well, let's get inside." Amara said, stepping into the corridor.

_Cathedral Corridor_

The corridors were rather plain compared to the main cathedral. Aside from a few religious paintings and candles here and there, nothing here would warrant a tourist to enter this area. Not that they could, anyway. However, the corridor they were currently in was rather lengthy, with many doors to the left.

"It's like we're in some weird cult building." Serena said, looking at the sheer size of the corridor. "I've never really been inside this place. Any idea where to go?"

"Looks like we'll just have to search the entire place. I hope we get them soon, before that asshole does something stupid." Dan said. "Hey Kyle, what's up?"

"Nothing. I'm worried about the others. Let's go." And so, the team started exploring the cathedral, looking inside various rooms.

_Outside the Cathedral_

"This is the last district we have to check, right?" Bianca said, tired.

"Yup. We've been doing this all day! Can't we have a break soon?" Richard said. "I hate being an errand boy!"

"We'll just check the cathedral, then go. I'm getting a little worn out, too." Kazuya said.

"Okay, then just a second..." Alastair said, and he opened the main doors with the golden key. The Cathedral was a grand place even in this world, yet no one was in the main part of the building. All that was there were the many stone pillars, the pews, a large organ, and very beautifully painted stained glass windows.

"Do you feel Shadows here?" Richard asked. "Like, a lot of them?"

"Something _does_ feel off here. Let's take a look around." Alastair said. He thought he heard voices, but hoped it was just his imagination. After examining the main room, the four of them sat down on the pews, Richard trying to lie on one.

"Sleeping on a hard wooden pew isn't as comfy as I'd thought it'd be." Richard said. "Damn, why did the Commander have to run off like that? Making us look all over for him. We could have been killing Shadows all day instead!"

"I have no idea why he'd desert us. But now I'm really starting to wonder if what those guys said is true. If it is, we need to find them soon!" Alastair said.

"We'll rest up here, then we'll get going. If only we had cushions or something." Bianca said, trying to get comfortable. Kazuya and Alastair tried as well, but only Richard got to sleep easily.

"Commander..." Alastair said to himself. "What are you planning? Why did you lie to us?"

_Bedroom_

"What the heck is this?" Dan asked, as they entered a room on the ground floor. It was a somewhat lavish bedroom, with green wallpaper and various items lying around the room. "We get invited to a slumber party?" he said, picking up a hairbrush.

"I don't remember anyone living in here. Don't tell me, the other me was sleeping here?" Serena said, walking towards the dressing table. "Hey, a diary. Let me read it." she said, skipping to a random page.

**Mom and Dad got killed by Shadows today. I guess I'm all on my own now. I don't suppose Nina will come save me. I don't even have one of those Persona things. This might be the last entry.**

"Jeez, that's a bit depressing. I thought reading through a diary would be more fun than this..." Blaine said. "Keep reading!"

**I heard a boy at a school got a Persona and Aeternus want to find him. I don't trust them so I'm going after him before they get to him. I hope he's cute!  
**

"How old was she when she wrote that?" Kyle asked. "I mean, I'm not cute!"

"It says 2006." Serena said. "So I - she would have been about eleven years old. Wow, I can't believe I wrote something like _that_! Anyway, moving on..."

**I found him, and healed a cut on his hand. He looked so scared. I heard his teachers talking to him when I snuck into the school. Poor guy must have been terrified. I got him away from his burning house, but I couldn't protect his mother. That Pierre guy burned her alive. I had to get Kyle away, but I can't stay with him. Please let him be okay. They might go after me next. If they do, I'll kill them for this!**

"Seems like both Serenas like Kyle...a lot!" Blaine said, with a wide grin on his face. "You sure you two are just 'friends'?"

"Of course we are!" Serena said, blushing. "Hold on, there's more!"

**I tried to kill my sister today, after they took me to this weird place. So she said the Commander is going to kill me, and I should be sorry I didn't get to see the 'Road'. I guess this is the last thing I write after all, so if anyone finds this, please look after Kyle McHale. I don't know him very well, but I want him to know that at least one person cared about him.**

"Ha! I knew it!" Amara said, as Serena blushed even harder. Kyle was pretty embarrassed himself.

"Serena, I..."

"Guys, stop it! There's still more!" Serena kept reading, flicking through the yellowed pages.

**It's been a year since Blaine saved me. He's kinda scary, and doesn't talk much, but he told me a lot of things. He was framed for killing Mr Furaha and Mr Albion. He told me that Josephine bitch killed the latter, but he doesn't know who killed the former. I want to believe him. After all, he's going to save the city from Shadows somehow. I need to help him as much as possible!**

"That's _it_!" Kyle shouted. "That's what he told me, when he captured me! He said he was trying to fight against Aeternus ever since the Kanaloa tragedy!"

"What? Seriously?" Dan asked.

"And he said something like he used to enjoy having a Persona...until it happened. I can't say for sure, but I think he was telling the truth." Kyle said.

"We have to find them _now_!" Priscilla said. "Nathan's probably worried sick! Seraphina, do you know where they're being held?"

"Yes. Some other force is communicating with me instead of Hecate, though. They're all upstairs, at the highest level. Yet others are there as well." Seraphina said.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's run!" Aimee said, and the nine of them ran outside. Serena quickly pocketed the diary, and went with them. She took one last look around the room, and smiled.

"We really are the same."

_Cathedral, Storage Room_

"Argh?!" Other Amara said, finally waking up.

"You finally woke up!" Other Nathan said.

"Oh, thank god! You're here to save me, right?" Other Amara said, relieved.

"Actually, I got kidnapped too. So we're stuck here. The door's locked, and Serena and Blaine have wandered off somewhere." Other Nathan said.

"Damn! I'm not thanking god after all!" Amara said, punching the floor.

Just then, the door opened. Other Blaine and Serena came in, holding various snacks and drinks in their hands.

"What the - I'm not hungry!" Other Amara said. "Are you trying to win the Best Kidnapper 2012 prize?!"

"No." Other Blaine said. "I took away your weapons. Look at my face, and you'll know why." Other Amara shrugged, angry. The scars she left on his face were still visible to this day.

"C'mon, at least eat something." Other Nathan said, taking a bag of potato chips. Other Amara reluctantly grabbed a soda, and sulked. "So what are you going to do with us? The others are probably trying to find us as we speak. Remember, we have Seraphina!"

"I'm aware of that. I wanted to get away from them, so the four of us could be alone. I want you to watch something, Nathan. Then you can stop accusing me." Other Blaine pointed to an old television set, with a VCR beneath it.

"What is this?" Other Nathan asked. Other Blaine didn't say a word, and pushed a remote. A video clip started playing. It was his former school, and although it was fuzzy, it was his father, in the same spot he would die. Yet, someone came up to him, and they started arguing. It wasn't Blaine, though. It was Josephine, who eventually fired at him with both of her handguns. Other Blaine ran up to them, and Josephine somehow vanished right before Other Nathan came.

"What the - so it was Josephine who killed your father? Not him?!" Other Amara said. "I don't believe this!"

"You wouldn't believe how hard it was to get my hands on this tape. Josephine really didn't want you to know it was her. That slut really is obsessed with you, for some reason." Other Blaine said.

"Oh my god...I should have known!" Other Nathan said, shaken. "If...if things had gone completely differently, I'd have killed an innocent man!"

"Me? Innocent? Even with this, I'm not a saint. Yet I hide in a holy place. How ironic." Other Blaine said, turning off the TV.

"So what are you trying to do?! Is this another trap of yours?" Other Amara asked.

"Not this time." Other Blaine said. "As for you, remember what happened when we first met?"

"Are you trying to say one of the Ater Vox killed my dad?" Other Amara said, in shock.

"I don't know, but I found that Thomas guy. Mr Weiken. He took charge of your dad's company after that day - in secret, of course. Using the oil company to make huge bucks overseas, they're able to afford the resources the city needs, like food, medicine, water, etc. Me and him got talking, and he says he had something to tell you." Other Blaine said.

"Thomas?!" Other Amara said. "I just assumed one of you got him! Will you take me to him? It's been so long! I need to see him!"

"Alright, I will. C'mon, let's all get out of here. Your friends are worried about you, I'm sure." Other Blaine said, opening the door - and their weapons were right outside.

"How did it take this long to get them on our side?" Other Serena asked, as Nathan and Amara ran out.

"It's like I said. The Ater Vox kept getting in the way. Not tonight, though. Tonight, I finally win!" Other Blaine smiled, for the first time in a long time. "Soon, I'll get to see Nihane bleed."

"So you're definitely not on their side?" Other Nathan asked.

"As from today, not anymore. Now I'm the same as you. Let's raise some hell." Other Blaine said.

_Main Cathedral_

"Whoa!" Alastair suddenly woke up. "Is it just me, or did the ground just shake?"

"That's weird, the city's not on any fault lines." Bianca said. "I should know, I did geography."

"Why are they called 'fault' lines, anyway? Makes it sound like some kind of customer support thing!" Richard said, standing up.

"It's about time we got out of here! Cathedrals bore me to tears!" Kazuya said. "I mean, why would people come here instead of our shrines?"

"Because, Kazuya, not everyone likes storm gods with girl names." Alastair said, smirking. Kazuya looked like he was going to cut him up with his knives. Just as the four of them were about to exit, one of the doors at the rear end opened. Out came their Commander, with Serena, Amara and Nathan.

"Commander! There you are! We have something we'd like to ask you!" Alastair said, as the four of them angrily marched over. "Long story short, we've heard that Aeternus are the ones creating the Shadows we're charged with killing. Is that true?"

The other Amara, Nathan and Serena looked at each other awkwardly, but Other Blaine simply stared into Alastair's eyes - not with anger as usual, but with sorrow.

"Yes. Yes it is."

_Corridor_

"I don't believe this! They weren't there!" Amara said, running downstairs. "Seraphina, what's going on?"

"Something enormous is tampering with my powers! It addles my mind! The only thing I can feel now is someone saying 'Armaiti'. Wait, someone else is saying 'Taraemaiti!" Seraphina said, trying to follow. Her dress made it hard to run quickly, however. "Please, don't run so quickly!" _Armaiti? Taraemaiti? The hell are those?_

"We can't! We have to find Nathan, and your powers aren't working at all!" Priscilla shouted. "You're useless! You couldn't find him before now because you didn't know him! Now you can't find him even after you know him! It's up to me now!"

"Priscilla, that's enough! I won't have you talk to Seraphina that way. She's been working her hardest ever since she joined us! We'll save Nathan, okay? But we're not going to do that if you throw a tantrum like a child!" Aimee shouted. Amara had never seen her so angry before.

"Let's go." Kyle said, after a rather uncomfortable silence. They opened the door leading to the main cathedral, and…couldn't believe their eyes. The Holy Cross were battling the Other Nathan, Amara, Blaine and Serena.

"Air Brake!" Richard shouted, hitting Other Amara with blades of wind. She took the hit, and rushed at him, slashing him with her blade. Sekhmet appeared, and used her Silver Strike attack, sending him to the ground.

"No!" Bianca shouted. "Take _this_! Snowdrop!" Gabriel raised her white rose, and giant flower-shaped ice crystals struck the Other Blaine, Amara, Nathan and Serena. Amara watched as her other self fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

"This is for betraying us! Megido!" Alastair shouted, striking their enemies with his Almighty move. Other Amara struggled to stand up.

"Hold on! Diarama!" Other Serena healed Other Amara, and started dodging Kazuya's furious swings.

"Foolish Whisper!" Kazuya soon silenced Other Serena. "Ha! Just like before! Richard, heal!"

"Got it!" Richard said, and soon cast Media on his own team. "That wasn't very good, was it?"

"No, Richard, it wasn't. Let me show you how a real man does it. Mazionga!" The sheer strength of Other Blaine's spell knocked Bianca unconscious, and before Kazuya could go to help her, he was blasted away by an Aques.

"This isn't good..." Alastair said. "Suffer! Sacred Feathers!" Many golden feather-shaped blades flew around the area, but it was too little, too late. One Garula was enough to defeat him, and the Holy Cross laid there, beaten.

"So this is how it ends, huh? We trust you, but you were just using us!" Kazuya said, coughing up blood. "It's too late for us, but your other selves…" Kazuya passed out before he could finish.

"Wait! Hold on a second!" Amara said, running ahead. Alastair gasped, but looked relieved to see her. "The Commander is on our side! We know!"

"What do you mean?" Other Serena asked.

"I read your-my diary." Serena said, taking it out of her pocket. "Josephine killed Nathan's dad, not him."

"Yes! He showed me the surveillance video." Other Nathan said. "Our Commander wanted us to help him, but the Ater Vox just kept getting in his way..."

Other Blaine stood there, in silence. "I'm still a murderer, though. Kanaloa and Matthew are gone thanks to me. I thought I was some superhero who could save everyone, but I'm not. So the only thing I can do is stop Nihane."

"Then come with us!" Aimee said. "If we work together, we can defeat the Shadows and save the city. We can't do it alone, and neither can you! So please..."

"I didn't think you guys would trust me after all that's happened." Other Blaine said, stunned. "Dan, what about you?"

"Well...I can't forgive you for Matthew. _Ever_. But as long as we're both Persona users, we should fight together." Dan said, holding out his hand. "Besides, that way I can make sure you don't do any more crazy shit."

"...Fine." Other Blaine shook Dan's hand, and Amara smiled at Blaine. Now they wouldn't be at each other's throats anymore. Also, she didn't have to worry about that Black Lightning attack.

"Count us in, too. We can't just work for Aeternus after all that's happened! Please, Commander! Let us help, too. We're the Holy Cross! It's our duty to protect the people of the city, and this time we're going to do it right!" Alastair said, standing up.

"Alright. I guess I can't get rid of you losers that easily. Besides, you guys have gotten better. You might be useful now!" Other Blaine said.

"Great! Then let's get out of this cathedral!" Priscilla said. "Oh, Nathan, I'm so glad you're safe!"

"Sorry I worried you. I'm not going away again!" Other Nathan said.

"Thank you so much!" Kyle suddenly said, and Other Serena looked at him in surprise. "My mother would be happy you tried to protect me. I got to meet Aimee and the others thanks to you. This time, we can fight together!"

"Yeah! I'm looking forward to it. And the other me's going to help you, too!" Other Serena said.

"I'm going to see Thomas again!" Other Amara said, very excited. "I always wondered about him, and now he's alive! Blaine's going to take me to him!"

"That sounds great!" Amara said. Everyone was excited now, except Seraphina, who looked worried. "Seraphina, are you okay?"

"Something's not right." Seraphina said. "All I can hear with my gift are the names Armaiti and Taraemaiti. And they mention something about the land of Spandarmad!"

"Hold on. That sounds familiar. I found files with names like that once, but they were corrupted." Kyle said, curious. "What do they even mean?"

"Everyone, we should leave! _Now_!" Seraphina said, anxious.

Just as Seraphina finished speaking, everyone heard clapping. A sudden red mist appeared in front of the door, and out of it came...a young man with eerie orange eyes and spiky black hair. Wearing a rather elaborate black shirt, a cape, red trousers and boots, he had a rather distinguished look to him. Despite his youthful face, he had an utterly evil smile.

"Nihane!" Alastair shouted, backing away. "Oh god, no!"

"Bravo, everyone. You've reached the same conclusion every half-wit in the world has. 'Let's all fight together! Friendship is the best!' That's hilarious! Even if you all had name badges and a motto, it wouldn't do you any good. Armaiti and Taraemaiti arise in the land of Spandarmad tonight. A decade after dear traitor Blaine awakened Ameretat and Sud in the glorious kingdom of Amurdad!" Nihane said.

"The hell is he talking about?!" Blaine shouted.

"Wait. You mean Kanaloa? What the hell does that mean?" Other Blaine said, aiming his gun at Nihane's smug face.

"You're such a gentleman. See, to truly wield the might of the Shadows, we need to open the Eternal Road. Here's something you might like to know. Shadows aren't our creation. We simply tap into the dark power of humanity, as we did eleven long years ago. There, the Shadows seep out. Don't you realise? After you destroyed Kanaloa, Shadows became abundant there! That is how we use them to build our dominion!" Nihane said.

"You mean to say Kanaloa's destruction was part of that 'Road'?" Serena asked. "Then this place is going to -"

"Exactly! It took ten years for the Shadow's power to build up, of course. The town of Kanaloa had a long history of death, even before it's modern days. The land that was there before was torched to the ground! The hatred, the anger of those people doesn't go away, no matter how many centuries pass. That is why Kanaloa was destroyed once more! Every person, every building, became one with the Shadows. Even precious little Matthew!" Nihane said, grinning.

"You _bastard_!" Dan, unable to take any more, charged at Nihane, but suddenly, a blast of rocks struck him, knocking him to the floor. At that instant, in front of Nihane was a strange white female form, with shining pink eyes. Wearing blue white robes and a blue cloak, she had bright white angel wings, a halo and an angelic staff.

"Dan!" Kyle screamed. Aimee ran over, and glared at Nihane.

"Hahaha! Those kinds of feelings fuel each of the six lands! Beautiful, isn't it? One must cultivate the sadness, rage, and fear of the human heart to summon the monsters born of those emotions. Soon enough, the other four Divine Sparks will appear! Look and see!" Nihane said. On the floor, a giant emblem appeared - of a circle, divided into six sections. The one at the top was completely covered in purple, the other five were blank with small white dots. Yet, one of them was blinking at an incredible rate.

"No!" Seraphina yelled. "If you were to place a map of the city on there, the purple area is Kanaloa! And the blinking dot is Farawell!"

"Wonderful, Miss 'Seraphina'. You see, I knew what Blaine, my 'loyal' Commander, was attempting to do. Thus, all it took was a few lies, and soon Blaine loses his chance for more rebels to join his hopeless cause! Then there's the Holy Cross. Their goal was to take you to us, so I could unleash the full potential of the power of Persona. Yet, they're worthless. Perhaps if I gave them a push?" Nihane said, and soon, another being appeared in front of him.

Alongside the angel, a grim reaper of sorts emerged, holding a scythe. His face was the exact same as the angels, and his clothes were ripped and worn. "Behold, the power of Janus!"

"You've got to be kidding me! Two Personas at once?!" Nathan yelled.

"Oh, don't get scared. I'm not letting you _all_ die today. Let me fuel the fires of agony, and usher in the land of Spandarmad!" Just then, bloody red auras from both 'Janus' Personas flew into the Holy Cross's bodies.

"What's happening?!" Bianca said. "No, don't...argh!" It was too late. Their eyes had turned completely white, and their Personas suddenly emerged - yet, their auras were red and their colours were inverted.

"What the hell did you just do?!" Amara shouted. "What's going to happen to this place?!"

"Don't you listen? This cathedral is going to be a smaller scaled version of the Kanaloa disaster. The second part of the Eternal Road! I might as well give you a fighting chance. See if you can find the other four. That depends on how many of you can escape!" With this, Nihane disappeared, and the Holy Cross turned on the others.

"Oh god, the floor!" Amara gasped, as cracks started to appear in the marble floor. The entire cathedral was shaking, and several of the pillars started to break apart. "We have to get out of here - argh!" Freezing cold ice struck Amara, before she could reach the door. "Bianca, stop!"

"We have to get out of here!" Aimee said.

"Really? I never would have thought of that!" Blaine said, avoiding the cracks in the ground.

"But those Holy Cross guys are going to keep attacking! We won't be able to get out in time!" Nathan said, looking around.

"Damn. You leave this to me, got that?" Other Blaine said, summoning Tlaloc one again. "I'll hold them off! The rest of you, get out now!"

"But if you don't get out soon, you'll die!" Serena shouted.

"I know that, but I deserve it. I'm never going to get the past back, am I?" Other Blaine said, staring at the corrupted Holy Cross in front of him. The ground was shaking harder and harder, but everyone just stared at him. "It's only fair I get to feel what everyone else in Kanaloa did."

"You moron! I still hate your guts, but you really _were_ trying to fight back. You can't do that if you're dead! If you don't get out of here alive, I'll never forgive you!" Dan yelled. "So stop the suicidal rambling! That's not the Blaine I know!"

"First you want me dead, now you're telling me to get out? You're so weird. Fine, I'll come back." Other Blaine said, managing a small smile. "Everyone, out! Now!" He shouted, as a huge rush of Shadowy energy came out by the organ, causing it to collapse into pieces.

"...I'm sorry!" Amara said, and everyone fled through the main door.

_Outside of the Cathedral_

"What exactly is going to happen?!" Aimee asked. "I still don't understand what Nihane was talking about."

"He mentioned a bunch of weird names, the same ones Seraphina was talking about. He was telling the truth, but this whole cathedral is trouble!" Serena said. "What if he can't get out in time?"

"I'll help him!" Other Amara said, stepping forward. "I've spent too long hating him. I think I understand now! He wants to save humanity, not destroy it!"

"Please hurry! We don't have much time!" Amara said, looking at the slowly crumbling walls of the Cathedral.

"I'm going too!" Other Serena said, joining Other Amara. "Blaine protected me, when he could have done as my sister asked and murdered me. I have to protect him this time, too!"

"Serena...good luck." Kyle said. "I'll be waiting!"

"Thanks, Kyle. This time, it won't be like your mother. I'll succeed!" Other Serena said. "C'mon, let's go!"

"Actually, I want to go too. It's the right thing to do. That, and I need to show I'm sorry. I accused him of something he didn't do! Even if Kanaloa was his fault, I want to believe he can get beyond that and fight with us!" Other Nathan said.

"Wait! Don't go! It's dangerous!" Priscilla screamed. "I can't let you go! Not again!"

"You can't stop him, Priscilla. The idiot's made his mind up. Go on ahead, you guys. You'd better come back. If you don't, a lot of people are gonna cry. And you won't be there to wipe away their tears." Dan said, staring intently at Other Nathan.

"You're right. We'd better go, now!" Other Nathan, along with Other Serena and Other Amara, ran into the cathedral again.

"Once they return, I'll use Traesto to get us out of here. We probably shouldn't be here when it comes." Aimee said, gazing at the cathedral. Priscilla was hysterical, and it took all of Dan's strength to stop her from going in.

_Cathedral_

"Damn!" Other Blaine was hit in the knee by an icicle, which was oddly more powerful than normal. Bianca had lost all her soul…the girl who had cried and cried, when her uncle didn't survive was gone. That same uncle begged him to look after her, but now he was having to fight her. "Damn you, Nihane, how many more people do I have to kill before it ends?!"

"Hey!"

Other Blaine looked up, and saw the other versions of Serena, Nathan and Amara run in. "Thought you could use some help!" Other Amara said, summoning Sekhmet, who blasted Bianca with Agilao.

"You guys! Get out of here! I'm doing this alone!" Other Blaine said, dodging a spear attack from Richard.

"No way! Here!" Other Serena said, healing Other Blaine with Diarama. "We're not letting you kill yourself! The four of us will beat the Holy Cross and go join the others!"

"That's right. If you're a man of honour, you'll try to make up for your mistakes. Even if you spend your entire life doing so!" Other Nathan said, holding his staff aloft.

"How am I supposed to say no to that? Fine then, let's do this!" Other Blaine said, now invigorated. Both teams started fighting, like they were a moment ago. This time, all eight Persona users were fighting with all their power, yet the Holy Cross showed no signs of returning to normal.

"We're running out of time!" Other Amara yelled, as Kazuya's Mazionga struck the entire area. One of the columns collapsed entirely, and almost the entire floor was cracked. "We need to finish this, now!"

"So we're gonna make like our other selves and use a combo attack? Okay, let's go!" Other Serena shouted, healing her friends once more.

Sekhmet, Tlaloc, Artemis and Setanta flew around the Holy Cross, who didn't even react, and started charging spheres of elemental energy. Simultaneously, they threw their spheres of incredible energy onto the still-shaking floor, and pillars of searing flame, raging wind, grand lightning and rushing water emerged, hitting all of the Holy Cross with sheer force.

"Did we win?" Other Nathan asked. The Holy Cross fell to the ground, their Personas vanishing.

"Great! Now, let's get out of here - argh!" Other Amara screamed as the ground beneath them completely broke apart.

"Damn! No!" Other Blaine felt himself falling, but he was blinded by a bright light. He couldn't see the others anymore, but he thought he saw something in the distance. It was Tezcatlipoca, looking at him.

"I'm still gonna come back. Wait for me, will ya?" Other Blaine said, feeling weaker and weaker.

Tezcatlipoca nodded, and vanished. The last image Other Blaine would see was a red figure in front of him.

_Outside the Cathedral_

It all happened so fast. The cathedral stopped shaking, and Priscilla breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone else seemed relived, too - this Divine Spark thing had stopped. Then, something burst out of the cathedral - a horrifying black and purple aurora, covering the building entirely. Amara could only watch as she heard the terrifying roar of energy drown out Priscilla's screams of anguish.

Then, the energy disappeared. The Cathedral was completely gone, and in it's place was simply darkness. A dark crater of energy, shining ominously, was in place of the once beautiful Cathedral. Those gorgeous stained glass windows, the organ that played enchanting music, the countless statues...all gone, in an instant. Eight people had vanished, possibly forever.

"...Shadows." Seraphina said, as huge swarms of Shadows started appearing around the crater. "Aimee, we must go."

"Oh. Okay. Traesto!" Irene warped everyone away, whilst the cries of civilians could be heard from afar.

_Secret Base_

The table still had cake on it, as if nothing had ever happened. The box of chocolates were lying on the ground, and Kyle's computer was still playing a catchy tune. Kyle quickly turned it off, and no one said a word. Amara couldn't tell what the others were thinking. Dan couldn't look at anyone, and Priscilla…she just sat on her chair, looking at Seraphina.

"Um..." Amara said, after many minutes of silence.

"Seraphina, this is _all your fault_!" Priscilla screamed. "You're supposed to be this psychic queen, right?! You should know what's going to happen! You should have known what would have happened to the Cathedral! We should have never gone there!"

"Priscilla, stop it -" Aimee said, but Seraphina quickly stood up, and slapped Priscilla hard across the cheek.

"That's all I am to you, Priscilla!? The missing persons office? All you care about is your precious Nathan! Well, the others here have all lost loved ones! But they're still fighting with everything they've got! I thought you'd be like that too, but you're just…just…" Seraphina couldn't even finish her sentence, and ran into her room. Amara thought she saw tears pouring from her eyes.

"Amara, maybe you four should go home. I can't think straight right now." Kyle said, looking glum.

"Yeah, you heard him. Take some time off." Dan said, as he looked at Kyle.

"Amara, let's go." Nathan said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "We need to get away from this, so we can think about what to do next."

"Alright." Amara said, and the four of them returned to their world.

_Farawell_

The sight of the Cathedral intact was not what the team wanted to see. Everyone was quiet. Did they want to cry? Scream? Punch something? Amara couldn't tell. She didn't even know what to think. Her other self disappeared, and could be dead. It didn't look like she could have survived…

"That moron! If he hadn't tried to be a hero, none of this would have happened!" Other Blaine said, as he punched a brick wall in anger. _Well, I didn't expect him to cry, but...  
_

"The Holy Cross...they're gone. They really did want to protect our city. Why, Nihane?! Why?" Serena then ran away, and Amara could hear her sobbing as she ran into the distance.

"Nathan, how are you feeling?" Amara asked.

"How do you think?! I just saw my girlfriend cry! My other self is gone, and I'm not the Nathan she wants!" Nathan screamed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't take it out on you."

"Don't worry. I just don't know how I feel anymore. I need to go home…" Amara said, turning away from the others.

"Same here. Talk to you later." Blaine said, walking away whilst trying to stop his knuckles from bleeding. Amara walked away too, but suddenly, Nathan called her name.

"What is it?" Amara asked.

"This isn't going to break us. No matter what, we're going back, and we're not going to let any more of those Divine Sparks happen. The four of us can't stop, even after this." Nathan said. "So take care, alright?"

"I will. You as well." Amara said, with a weak smile. Waving Nathan goodbye, she returned home. Despite the calamity that today wrought, she knew she had to keep on going. After all, she was still alive. She'd find Thomas herself, in her other self's place.


	26. Chapter 26: Time of Rest

**AN: **I don't do too many of these, huh? I usually have some notes when I upload chapters to my deviant art account (UltimaAnimus), but only like once here. So I'm writing one now! Please enjoy this chapter, and thanks to all my reviewers (especially Sato Fumizuki!) This story is actually only about 25% (maybe more than that actually, but we'll see) done, so please stay with me until it's over. Again, thanks, please review (politely, of course. Disliking the story is fine as long as you're civil and I encourage criticism, and one person pointed out a few mistakes which I corrected) and enjoy!

* * *

_What seemed like good fortune soon turned into bad luck._

_Tragedy occurred, and now the future remains uncertain._

_Where is this all headed? Can strife truly be averted?_

_To wield the power of your inner self is to always know your true heart._

_Yet, the human heart will always change as time goes on._

_Thus, no matter what tragedies may occur, one must keep going onward._

_For there is no time to grieve when time itself is in danger…_

**Chapter 26: Time of Rest**

_Aeternus, Meeting Room_

Normally, it was the Holy Cross who came here to receive new orders. Today, the Ater Vox had arrived, and it was the first Nihane had bothered to come into the room in a long while. The second Divine Spark finally occured, which meant their plans were finally back on track. Now there was reason for all six of the Ater Vox to gather - what they desired was finally within reach.

"So it's true. The Eternal Road finally moved forward last night. It took us a long time, but we finally advanced to the second step." A man in his fifties with grey hair and blue eyes, said as he adjusted his red glasses. This was Archibald Ebert, an advanced scientist with an incredible aptitude for technology and experimentation. "Why did you not say anything to us, Nihane?"

"Simple. You would have slowed me down, old man. All you would have done is babble about calculations and stay put in your chair. Once again, _I'm_ the one that has to get things done around here." Nihane chided. Archibald glared at him, but his fury only seemed to amuse Nihane.

"Nihane, we really should reach an agreement before making such huge decisions. Thanks to the Divine Spark, we've lost eight valuable Persona users. The Holy Cross were barely capable of reaching our expectations, but the Commander was our mightiest warrior! Then there's Nathan." Josephine said, indignant. It was rare for her to agree with Archibald, but this was a rare occasion in itself.

"Oh, Josephine, get over yourself! I'm sure Nihane knows what he's doing. He's the one who created the Eternal Road theory in the first place!" said the woman with long flowing blonde hair and green eyes. This was Nina Agnethe, the elder sister of Serena. She was in charge of Aeternus's financial sector, which considering the stronghold they had over the city, did not require much work at all. After all, the citizens had far more pressing issues than their bank balances. "He finally got rid of that irritating brat for me. The others don't matter at all. The Eternal Road has begun moving, and that's all we should worry about. Nihane, you truly are amazing!"

"I know." Nihane said snidely. "I've already accomplished a lot more than you have." Nina's jaw dropped, even though Nihane frequently disrespected his fellow Ater Vox members.

"Even so, we need to find new Persona users, and get to them before those rebel idiots do." said the tall, skinny red haired man sitting by Nina. This was Pierre Leonard, a man who had grown accustomed to battles and treachery. His task within the organisation was to deal with emergencies in the city, and dispatch Ornatu Legion soldiers to neutralise them. His eyes were a rather bright yellow.

"Yes. Otherwise, it'll take forever for the rest of the Divine Sparks to appear." Carlos Nadal, a man with tan skin and green hair said. Well built, due to his extensive boxing training, he had sinister green eyes. Carlos provided weaponry and training for the Ornatu Legion, and he had plenty of practice with his fists.

"Oh, don't worry. It won't take ten years for the next one. Perhaps a little while, yes, but I'm sure we can expedite the process. First, we have to determine the next land to awaken." Nihane said, grinning. "Then, we'll scour the city for anyone with the potential to summon a Persona. This time, the rebels won't get to them first. Whoever we find is ours, and ours alone."

Nihane left the room. "Well, we need to search the districts. I'll go to Takanawa." Josephine said. "I hope I find a handsome young man with a Persona there. He'd be far better looking than you brutes."

"With your taste in men, Josephine, the chances of that are a million to one. I'll go to Legarte, then. The sooner we complete the Eternal Road, the better." Archibald said, and the rest of the Ater Vox left the meeting room.

_Real People Offices_

A week had passed since the incident at Farawell Cathedral. Amara hadn't met up with either of the team since then, although she had called them to check how they were doing. Now that it was nearly July, the summer break could truly begin, although for her, she would spend most of it working. At least she had Zao to keep her company. The two of them had spent quite a bit of time together, and even though he was still the same dork as ever, she loved every day they met. She knew she'd have to return to the other world at some point, but for now, she needed the rest.

"Amara, your work's a bit sloppy this week. Did something happen?" Karen asked, as the end of the day neared.

"No, it's nothing." Amara said. "I think I'm just a bit distracted. Me and Zao have been meeting a lot since last week, and...I've been having so much fun!"

"That's great, but if you don't focus, we might not be able to sell any more issues. So get a hold of yourself!" Lucy said, scowling.

"Sure thing, _Commandant_." Amara said, as Colette giggled (although Amara couldn't tell if she was actually listening). "Sorry Karen, I'll try and get back to my usual standard."

"Good to hear it. Now, this is last minute, but since I'm single again, how about you, me and some of the girls go out tomorrow? We can hit some great clubs. When you've been around as long as I have, you get!" Karen said, grinning.

"Go on then. I suppose I need some excitement in my life. And I'm not going to find it by sitting around the house all night!" Stella said, not looking up from her computer.

"Oh, I'd love to go! I've got this great pink dress I've been dying to show off!" Colette said. Everyone just politely laughed - she had worn plenty of pink dresses already.

"Well, I suppose I should go. I haven't been out since that night with Colette and Stella." Lucy said. "What about you two?"

"Sure, I might as well go!" Amara said. She still didn't like Lucy much, but Stella and Karen were coming. Besides, if they were spending the whole night dancing in clubs, she wouldn't have to talk to Lucy much.

"Sounds good. Karen, do you mind if I bring my friend Shirley along?" Lucy asked. "She's awesome, you'll love her!"

"The more, the merrier! The more girls around to stop me from throwing myself at random men, the better. I could have used them when I met my last husband." Karen said, shuddering. "That is actually how we met. I saw him, thought he was cute, and practically shoved myself in his way. God, that was stupid."

"Don't worry, we'll be your guardians for the night!" Amara said, then she laughed. "So Stella, what are you up to after work?"

"I'm going to my parlour to do some readings. Ever since that model was accused of doing drugs, I've been bombarded with calls asking if it's true. To be honest, I don't care, but money's money!" Stella said, with a catlike grin.

"Wow, the great psychic's true colours." Amara said. "As for me, I'm off to Bar Seoul. I might see what Blaine's up to!"

"Oh, I was going there with Shirley tonight. Why don't you join us?" Lucy said. Amara briefly grimaced, but no one saw her look of displeasure.

"Yeah, sure! Why not?" Amara said. She had quite a few reasons for why not, actually. Lucy had developed a reputation as a slave driver and a know-it-all. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to spend too much time with her tonight - and Shirley might be okay. "Then we'll go once we're done!"

_Solar Ray Mall_

"This Mall is so amazing. In fact, I've been planning an article on this place, but it's very difficult to get hold of the man in charge." Lucy said. "His name is Mr Martin, but his phone's always busy and his secretary always says he's in meetings, or something. Yet he's the one who made the Mall what it is today, so he's really the one I need."

"Oh, right. Maybe keep trying. Surely he'll be free one day." Amara said, nonchalantly. "So Shirley's meeting us here, right?"

"Yeah - oh, there she is!" Lucy said, as a young woman with blue hair that curled up at the ends ran over. "Amara, this is Shirley Evens!"

"Hey there! I'm - wait, Lucy already said my name. Damn you, Lucille Victoria Crossman!" Shirley said, playfully punching Lucy in the shoulder.

"Shirley! You know I hate my full name!" Lucy said. "She's always trying to embarrass me! Just ignore her."

"So, you two work on that magazine together? I bought a copy, and I asked who did the artwork. Lucy started talking to be about how cool Amara was, so now I finally get to see her!" Shirley said. _Really? Lucy thinks I'm cool? She's always telling me not to slack off, and to stop talking to Stella. I didn't think she liked me much at all.  
_

"H-hey, what did I just say?" Lucy said, flustered. "C'mon, let's go eat already!"

"Sure, I'm starving! Word of warning, though, Lucy hates spicy food -"

"You're one to talk! You almost fainted when we tried that chilli burger!" Lucy shouted.

"That was because you put ground cinnamon on it. Just because you saw it on TV doesn't mean it's any good. If you had bothered to watch that show to the end, you'd have seen that the entry failed the competition completely..." Shirley said, shaking her head. "Let's go, Amara." _This might be more fun than I thought!_

_Legarte, Bus Stop_

Kyle was by himself, on his way home. Serena had gone home, excited that her parents would be on vacation from tomorrow. Now that she would have the whole house to herself, Kyle could come over to her house without any awkwardness. Yet lately, he had felt strange. That odd dream about the basement was just the start, but Serena felt more important to him than before. Like, she had done something for him, and he should thank her. He'd also become more worried that she'd go away, which had never been a worry before.

"It's been two years. She wouldn't leave me, right? Matthew, what should I do?" Kyle said to himself. He had asked Matthew for advice many times during their friendship, and even now he still wondered what he would have said. Matthew was one of the kindest people Kyle had ever met, and every time he realised he was gone, all his positive thoughts gave way to sadness.

The bus was late, and it was coming on rain. Kyle cursed to himself - he never did bring an umbrella, since it made using his wheelchair a hassle. At least when he got home, he could go back to his fan translation of _Devil Summoner_. It was hard work, especially since he still had a very rudimentary grasp on the Japanese language, and Kazuya didn't have the time to help him. He was hanging out with his own friends, whilst Kyle was stuck at home tonight. Even Serena had her new friends, and they all seemed so much cooler than him. Perhaps that was what scared him.

Just as he sighed as his hair got damp, something moved over his head.

"...Huh?"

It was a black umbrella. Kyle looked up to see who was holding it - and it was Dan, in his uniform, complete with a black and red cap.

"Oh! It's you!" Kyle exclaimed.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Dan asked. Kyle panicked, but after a minute, he thought he could trust this man by now. The strange thing was, he felt like he knew him from before. Perhaps it was nostalgia for the old days with Matthew. They did bear quite a resemblance, now that Kyle thought about it. "Oh, and this is a free service. I won't add it to your bus fare."

"Thanks, Dan. How've you been?" Kyle asked, taking the umbrella.

"Same old, same old. Blaine keeps beating me at motorcycle racing, people still leave their trash on the bus, and they're still showing that damn _Happy Hour_ show at midnight. All in all, not bad." Dan said. "You don't look so good, buddy. What's up?"

"Well..." Kyle thought for a minute. "I'm sorry to bring this up, but did Matthew ever talk about me?" Dan's eyes widened, and Kyle panicked again. "I'm really sorry! We don't have to talk about -"

"Nah, don't worry about it. He had a lot of friends, Matthew, but I don't remember them all. You didn't go to the funeral, did you?" Dan asked. "I would have remembered seeing you for sure."

"I was too scared to go. If I told Mom I wanted to be there, she'd have kept asking why I was going, how I knew someone from the roughest part of the city." Kyle said, sighing. "I'm sorry. I really should have been there-"

"Hey, like I said, don't worry. I don't think Matthew's angry at you. Was that all you were worried about?" Dan asked, a bit cheerier now.

"Well, I'm going to France with Mom soon. She says she's looking forward to it, but she'll have to keep looking after me while we're there. I'm stuck in this stupid thing, so I can't go swimming, or anything fun like that. So I'll just be sitting by the pool or beach..." Kyle said, despondent. "I sound so stupid, don't I?"

"Just a little, actually. I didn't get to go anywhere when I was your age. My parents weren't quite so lucky. Why don't you think of something fun you can do even in that thing? Something the both of you can enjoy?" Dan said, as he kept an eye out for the bus.

"Well, I suppose I could. Matthew always told me that there were tons of things I could do...it's not been the same since. Thanks. You're right, I shouldn't waste opportunities like this." Kyle said, smiling.

"Sounds like my little brother was pretty special to you, then!" Dan said. "It's nice to hear good things about him now and again. He always was into helping others. His dream was to become a cop, you know."

"I know, he told me about that. He was really kind - looks like it runs in the family." Kyle said.

"Oh, come on! You're making me sound like a total pussy!" Dan said, laughing.

The bus came, and Kyle started to move towards the door. "Oh, did you need this umbrella back?" Kyle asked.

"Nah, you keep it. I'll be on this bus for ages, so I won't be needing it. Hey, isn't this the bus you go home on?" Dan asked.

"Yeah, that's right! Guess we're going together, then!" Kyle said, getting on the bus.

Dan chuckled, as he and the previous driver switched places. Kyle smiled as he sat in the wheelchair area, watching the city flash by. Dan didn't seem so scary anymore. In fact, he could call him a friend now. It was like Matthew, in a lot of ways. Maybe this was Matthew's way of looking after him...

_Bar Seoul  
_

"That was delicious!" Amara said, finishing her meal. "Maybe I ate too much, though."

"Me too, but it's so good! Even if the food all has funny names." Lucy said, wiping her mouth.

"Lucy, like I keep telling you, you got the Korean menu by mistake." Shirley said, shaking her head.

"I know, but even reading their names in English is weird..." Lucy said. "Anyway, Amara, you've been looking around this place since we got in. Do you know someone who works here?"

"Actually, yes. His name's Blaine, and he's a waiter here. I thought he'd be working today, but I don't see him." Amara said.

"Blaine? I'm guessing he's not related to the other staff?" Lucy said.

"Uh...no he isn't. He just works here, that's all." Amara said. She tried to hide her smile as she remembered the day they saw him there, in his uniform, as Serena assumed he was the adopted son of the owner. It was still hard to think he would wind up becoming their comrade...and an enemy in the other world. Or at least, he _was_ an enemy. Now he was gone, before he could see Aeternus defeated.

"You okay, Amara? You look lost in thought." Shirley asked.

"Oh, it's nothing." Amara said.

"So how'd you meet this Blaine?" Lucy asked, with a sneaky smile.

"Hey, we're just friends! We met in Kanaloa one day, when I wanted to ask Stella about...something. He was having problems with his motorcycle, so I lent him my phone, and we just started talking from there!" Amara said.

"You certainly seem popular, Amara. You get to meet up with your friends all the time." Lucy said. _Don't tell me she's jealous. Doesn't she have any friends from college? Then again, I haven't met up with any of my college friends since graduation. _

"Hehe! Well, I guess I'm a people person!" Amara said. "Oh, there he is!" Blaine had just arrived at the restaurant, in his normal clothes. "Hey, Black Lightning!"

"Amara! What are you doing here? The pizza place closed, or you just missing me already?" Blaine said, and the two of them chuckled. It seemed like the events of last week hadn't affected him too much, and he looked like he was in good spirits.

"What can I say? I've gotten used to having you around!" Amara said.

"Yeah, same here. I'm doing the later shift today, so looks like I missed the chance to serve ya! Good to see you, though. So, these girls from the magazine too?"

"Well, Lucy is. Shirley's her friend." Amara said. Blaine's eyes widened as he saw Lucy, and he stared at her intently. In reaction, her cheeks went bright red and she turned away. "Lucy, what's wrong?"

"Um...nothing! It's not like I've ever seen him before! Honestly!" Lucy said, her face a beetroot red. Shirley sighed.

"You're such a liar! I saw you at The Mole when you were with Stella and some bimbo." Blaine said, and Amara looked up, surprised to hear Stella's name. "Don't you remember? I thought you were cute and tried to buy you a drink, but you turned me down."

"Wait, _what_? So that's why you were asking me about Lucy!" Amara couldn't believe it. Blaine was thirty, and she assumed Lucy was the same age as her - twenty one or so. Did he really think he'd have a chance with her? Amara did think Blaine was kind of handsome in a rugged sort of way, but he was probably not Lucy's type. Or at least, she didn't think so.

"Oh, I get it now! Lucy, remember when we got home, and you were rambling about some super sexy guy at a bar?" Shirley said. _Whoa. So that's her type. Juan's out of luck, then._ "You were going on about his stubble and his leather jacket, and how you wanted to take his jacket off and -"

"Shirley, what the _hell_ are you doing?!" Lucy shouted, and Shirley just gave a coy smile. Blaine, surprised, was smiling too. Amara just watched, in stunned silence. So Blaine liked Lucy, and she was too embarassed to admit she liked him back. Now, it was out in the open.

"Relax, Lucille Victoria Crossman! At least you got noticed by someone who didn't go on and on about his hair transplant. Blaine, you haven't had one of those, had you?" Shirley asked.

"You kidding? I'm lucky I can afford a hairbrush!" Blaine said. "Hey, Miss Crossman, don't worry so much. It's been a while since anyone called me cute, so thanks for the ego boost. You're pretty hot yourself."

"Oh...thank you. Blaine, right?" Lucy said, now looking at Blaine, her face bright red. For some reason, Blaine seemed to enjoy looking into her eyes. Amara could tell there was something between them, but she wished there wasn't. She still wasn't very fond of Lucy, and she thought Blaine could do better than her. Still, she could hardly tell him to give up.

"Blaine Spencer. I've got an idea. Why don't we have lunch sometime? It'd be nice to meet somewhere better than The Mole." Blaine said. Lucy gasped, and hesitated. "Wait, if you don't want to, that's fine -"

"C'mon, Lucy, it's just lunch. What's the worst that could happen?" Shirley asked - then she started thinking, and seemed horrified at her thoughts. "Okay, don't think about the worst that could happen. Just do it!"

"Hmm...Okay. It might be fun, if I get the chance. I'll call you sometime." Lucy said, and the two of them exchanged numbers. "I think I could manage next week, so wait until then?"

"Sure. I'm looking forward to it!" Blaine said. Clearly proud of himself, he started whistling a jaunty tune as he headed into the changing room.

"C'mon, cheer up. This is the first date since hair transplant guy! You should be more excited!" Shirley said.

"Well, he is kind of...sort of...handsome. And biker types are pretty hot." Lucy said, still red in the face. "So…Amara, can you tell me about him? I want to know what he's like. I mean, do we have anything in common?" Amara soon began discussing what she knew about him, secretly hoping their date would be a one-off. Yet deep down, she had a feeling it would last longer than that.

_Caramathia Department Store, Electronics_

"Wow!" Serena said, as she started browsing the television section. She knew she could never afford any of these, and she was never going to ask her parents to get one for her, but she liked to imagine watching her favourite shows on one of these. "High Definition, you are the modern goddess." Serena said, entranced by the very high resolution picture of a leaf with a raindrop on it.

"Oh, hello!"

Serena turned around, and smiled - it was Nathan, with Priscilla. Serena remembered that she didn't know Priscilla in this world, but after what happened last week, she felt happy to see them together. "It's been a little while."

"Nathan, it's only been one week! So is this the lovely Priscilla?" Serena asked. "She really is as pretty as you said!"

"Why thank you! Nathan, how do you know this girl? Is she involved with that Amara woman?" Priscilla asked.

"Sort of. Serena's in high school, so I was giving her some career advice!" Nathan said, and Serena giggled nervously. Then she realised - with Priscilla, they could just tell her anything they wanted. She'd never know about the other world, so it would be far easier to make up a story about Nathan convincing her to study business rather than fighting otherworldly monsters.

"Yes, that's right! I was considering studying literature, but Nathan thinks I'd have better luck with business studies." Serena said.

"Haha! That's my Nathan! Always talking about work, even today. Our TV's broken, and our friends Tara and Adrian were coming over, so we kind of need a new one, and soon. Otherwise, we might have to play board games again." Priscilla said.

"What kind of board games?"

"Oh, well we got given some really adult versions of classic ones as a joke. You wouldn't believe what they managed to do with snakes and ladders..." Priscilla said, and Serena shuddered. Her imagination went wild. "Nathan got a little carried away, though -"

"Okay, that's enough!" Nathan said, grimacing. "We had drunk a lot of wine that evening! ...That doesn't make it any better, does it?"

"It sounds like you two have a lot of fun! How long have you known each other?" Serena asked.

"Oh, since we were kids. If I remember correctly, our families were at this huge gathering, and I was so scared of the crowd of people, I hid behind a curtain. Turns out Nathan was behind it too! He kept asking if I was okay, and he said if anyone gave me any trouble he'd deal with them." Priscilla said, smiling. "I can't imagine being without him. Sounds so sappy, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, but it sounds nice. I wish I had someone like that." Serena said. She never really had any childhood friends - a few casual acquaintances, sure, but the only friend she really cared about was Kyle. Everyone teased her about being his girlfriend, but she kept saying she wasn't. Yet…did she really want to be just friends with him?

After saying goodbye, Serena returned to browsing the department store. Soon enough, she'd be back in the other world, fighting Shadows. But she wouldn't be alone. Kyle would be there, even if she wasn't the Serena he wanted.


	27. Chapter 27: Lonely Heart

**Chapter 27: Lonely Heart**

_Miyazaki Sushi, Takanawa_

Miyazaki Sushi was a moderately successful sushi restaurant in the eastern part of Takanawa. It's popularity had declined slightly in recent years due to the emergence of sushi chain restaurants, but Amara preferred the fresher food available at Miyazaki. The place was decorated to be as autheticly Japanese as possible, having various oriental plants, furniture, and even replica katanas on the walls. Today, she was here with Zao for lunch - she had already come to expect that if Zao was taking her anywhere, fish would be involved.

"Thanks for taking me out today. You really do eat anything fish, don't you?" Amara asked, as Zao wolfed down some salmon roe.

"Hell yeah! It's like fish were born so I could catch them! And eat them! And brag about how big they were!" Zao said. Amara laughed as she saw all the sauce around his mouth - he wasn't the cleanest eater. Still, Amara felt like all her worried went away whilst she was with him. His carefree attitude just made it hard to feel down.

"So, did I tell you about Blaine asking Lucy out? I dunno what he sees in her - oh." Amara said. "Wait, of course I do. She's young, pretty, and isn't short!"

"Hey, give him some credit. This Blaine guy doesn't sound that shallow - even if he does give weird nicknames to his motorcycles. Maybe he and Lucy will hit it off, like we did!" Zao said, grinning as always. "Hey, we could do a double date. Or maybe a triple date if we get Nathan and Priscilla to join! Or even better, a quadruple date! Serena and Kyle could join us!"

"But they're not dating. So they say, anyway. I dunno, maybe it's the age difference that bothers me. I mean, they might want different things in life. I just hope it doesn't end up like Karen and her husbands."

"Karen's your boss, yeah? Wasn't she pining for her first love?" Zao asked.

"Yeah. I think his name was Roger. I don't think going after him is the answer. She needs to move on, and pick a man without a criminal record!" Amara said. "Don't I sound so pretentious?"

"Well, maybe just a little, but you being beautiful helps!" Zao said, laughing. "But maybe you can help her avoid any really bad men tonight. Think of it as working overtime - with a chance of extra pay, if you play your cards right!"

"Ha, I guess. Anyway, you want more sushi, right?" Amara asked, wiping her face - knowing that Zao wouldn't be doing the same.

"Of course. I need some halibut, this time." Zao said, eagerly eyeing the conveyor belt. Amara decided she'd get some more too - she'd need the energy, for all the partying she and the girls would get up to tonight! Amara started to wonder…where had she heard the name Miyazaki before? Recently, too.

The answer literally came to her, as a familiar Asian young man entered the restaurant with another familiar face. Kazuya and Richard! Amara tried not to stare, but knowing they could be dead in the other world, she felt strange seeing them again. The two of them were talking about something involving a vacation to Hokkaido, but Amara couldn't follow them. She was lost in thought, over the Holy Cross. They really did care about the people of the city, and they were just being used. If only she could have saved them...

"Hey Amara! How about some wasabi on yours?" Zao asked. "It tastes awesome!"

"No thanks. That stuff's intense!" Amara said, watching as Zao ordered a lot more food for them. It was going to be a long evening.

_Saragel, Skadi, 10pm_

Otherwise known as the 'Snowshoe Bar' and named after a goddess of Norse mythology, the bar/restaurant Skadi was famed for everything being made out of ice. Thus, Amara had to wear one of the special jackets they provided - but she was still freezing. She didn't cope well with cold weather, but she didn't want to offend Karen, since it was her idea to come here.

"Oh, you're here! I was certain I'd come here early. My intuition must be fading!" Stella said, in one of the thick coats. She didn't have her turban on, and from what Amara could tell, was just wearing a regular black outfit. "How was Zao?"

"Oh, great! We were at Miyazaki Sushi, so he's stuffed. Damn, this place is cold."

"What did you expect?" Stella said, grinning as Amara shivered. "Not to worry, Lucy shall be here in four minutes and thirteen seconds. Let's order some drinks, shall we?"

_Four Minutes and Thirteen Seconds Later_

"Oh, hello." Lucy said, sauntering up in a coat as well. Stella smiled, proud of her accurate prediction. "Shirley couldn't come, she apparently found her 'creative instincts' and wanted to write piano songs tonight. Lame, I know!" _That doesn't sound lame to me, but I kinda wish she was here. Oh well. _"Colette and Karen not here yet?"

"Nope, still waiting for them. So, got anything planned for the weekend?" Amara asked.

"Well, I thought about it, and Blaine does seem like an okay guy. So I called him and asked him if he wanted to meet me tomorrow. I'm not sure, but I think 'FUCK YEAH!' means he _really _wants to go." Lucy said, with a slight smile. "I guess if it makes him happy, I should go! We're going to meet for lunch, but I'm kind of nervous. Maybe I should ask Colette what to wear -"

"Try a blue shirt and black skirt combo, with some nice zip-up boots and some gold bangles. Also, don't use eyeliner, your eyes look great without it, but try a bit of foundation. Lipstick too - and I know just the shade!" Colette said, right behind Lucy.

"_Argh_!" Lucy screamed, and Amara burst out laughing. Stella tried to contain her laughter, but failed. "Don't do that!

"Relax, Lucy, you'll be fine. Remember, he's probably just as nervous as you are." Stella said.

"Really? Blaine doesn't strike me as the type that gets nervous." Amara said.

"Who's Blaine again?" Colette asked.

"Oh, he's a friend of Amara's who asked me out yesterday. He's kind of hot, a bit older than me, and he has a motorcycle." Lucy said.

"Wow, you go girl! In that case, we'll have to try a different approach. How do you feel about padded bras?" Colette asked.

"I do _not_ need one of those, thank you very much!" Lucy exclaimed.

A few minutes later, Karen showed up, dressed up to the nines. Everyone else was wearing fairly stylish clothes (except for Colette, who _always_ wore stylish clothes), but her outfit was just stunning - her red Chinese floral dress, her diamond earrings, and her studded black heels.

"Wow!" Colette said, astonished. "Where did you find that dress?! It's so gorgeous!" Amara stepped back, in case Colette had a fit.

"Haha! Now, now, Colette, the evening's still young. We've got lots of time to discuss our outfits. It is annoying having to wear these jackets over them, though." Karen said, putting on a thick jacket. The five of them ordered more drinks, and sat at a table, ready for a long and alcohol-laden night.

_Dan & Blaine's House_

Finally, it was ten o'clock, and it was time for Dan to come home from his late shift. Two years ago, he would have actually looked forward to getting home on a Friday - sure, he'd have been tired, but he'd still have the time to tell his little brother about his day, and listen to all the goings on at Matthew's school. Then, despite it being late, Matthew would get dinner ready, complain that Dan had made him hungry, then they'd watch television (usually cop shows, or some talk show hosted by some dude called Keiya), and fall asleep on the couch.

Now...usually, there was no one home. Blaine would be out riding his Black Lightning, having a nap or out drinking, and Dan would have to cook dinner himself - and he was no good at it, judging by Blaine's squeamish expression most nights. Even if Blaine was home and awake, they usually didn't have much to talk about. Still, it was better than living alone, but so was working on an oil rig. These days, life felt like a routine. One that he didn't want, but couldn't figure out how to stop. Only meeting Kyle had changed that routine, just barely.

"Dammit..." Dan sighed, taking off his hat.

"Hey man! What're you so depressed about? Wearing that dumb uniform finally gotten to ya?" Blaine asked, coming downstairs.

"Watch it, buddy! This thing ain't dumb. I'd say the hat gives me some extra man points. More than your uniform, anyway!" Dan said, hanging up his jacket. "What are you lookin' so chipper for?"

"Well, remember that Lucy chick I was telling you about?" Blaine said, struggling to contain his delight. "Guess who she called to invite for lunch tomorrow?"

"No way! That Swedish guy who washes our windows?" Dan said.

"No, you dumbass, _me_! For the first time in years, Blaine Spencer is going out with a woman! I know I sound like a kid, but damn, I can't believe it!" Blaine said, punching the air in triumph.

"Finally! It's about goddamn time someone in this house got a girl!" Dan said, high fiving Blaine. "Well then, my friend, we need to celebrate! Tonight, we're going to The Mole!"

"Okay. If we're lucky, we might find you a woman too. There's got to be someone out there who'd find that goatee a turn on." Blaine said, lightly punching Dan on the chest.

"Well, if those sideburns got you a girl, so can this beauty!" Dan said. "Just let me change clothes, and we'll be out of here faster than you can drink a Pina Colada!"

"The record's 42 seconds. I might just beat it tonight!" Blaine said, punching the air.

_Midnight, Loco Dance House_

Loco Dance House was a club that offered pretty much what it said on the tin - dancing and madness. Tonight, the theme was Latin Rhythm - which Amara just could not dance to. Try as she might, she couldn't match all the belly dancers in the music videos. Stella, on the other hand, was dancing like crazy, and everyone was surprised she was so agile.

"How does she manage it? She has to work out. I assumed she only left her house to go to work." Karen asked, dancing (badly) herself. She was already bit tipsy, having drank the most. "God, Amara, you haven't got any rhythm."

"Well excuse me! I'm just not used to this kind of music." Amara said, exasperated.

"Well, I think I know what we need. Another round of drinks! Cocktails, ASAP!" Karen said, laughing. Colette and Lucy were discussing the perfect outfit for a date with Blaine, but Lucy wasn't really focusing - not that it stopped Colette's reccomendations of lipstick. Karen and Stella went off to get drinks for everyone, so Amara just stood around, watching people dance to the music.

"Okay, I think I can do this!" Amara said, trying to dance, but she still couldn't match the fast beat - and finally, she slipped, much to the crowd's amusement. "Be nice, guys! I'm new!" Amara said - even though she had been to this club before. Standing up, she tried more and more exotic dance moves, with little success. Still, there was something fun about making a fool of herself.

"Here you go, my dancing fool!" Stella said, handing Amara a strawberry daiquiri. "I never thought I'd enjoy this kind of thing, but I do love to dance. If I wasn't a psychic, perhaps I'd have become a back-up dancer, or something."

"You're certainly good at it! C'mon, teach me!" Amara begged. "Please, help me! You're my only hope!"

"Alright, my apprentice. Let's see if we can turn one of those left feet into a right one." Stella said, giggling. And so, for the next half hour or so, Amara and Stella tried dancing to the Latin beats. The only result, however, was Colette laughing hysterically and Lucy sighing, although she was giggling all the same.

_One Hour Later, Leopard Jungle_

The girls were in yet another club. One of Amara's favourites, all the staff were dressed up in revealing leopard costumes, and the tables and dance area were themed like a jungle. Thankfully, the music was more suited for club dancing, so Amara could actually match the rhythm. Or at least, if she messed up, no one would care.

"Well, this is no fun. We can't make fun of you dancing anymore!" Lucy joked, drinking her gin & tonic.

"Yeah - oh, look at him!" Karen said, pointing at a young man with a Mohawk. After more alcohol than everyone else, she was slurring her words, stumbling and practically drooling after most men she saw. _Seriously? She's thirty five? No wonder she didn't want to go alone!_

"No, Karen. He's too young for you! Bad girl!" Stella said, grabbing Karen's arm. "Honestly, that's the fifth time tonight we've had to stop you!"

"But he's so hot!" Karen said. "Besides, Lucy's going out with someone older! Why can't he?"

"One, I haven't even gone out with Blaine yet. Two, he's not hot. Three, he's with his _boyfriend_." Lucy said, pointing to the other man.

"Oh, hell. I need another drink. Stella, come help me?" Karen said, hiccupping.

"Alright..." Stella said, sighing. "I suppose the evening is still young at 1:34 ante meridian." The two of them went off again, and Amara had a feeling Karen wanted to hit another club. Colette was still fixated on clothes (but when wasn't she?), constantly commenting on the other dancer's outfits.

"Oh my god, no co-ordination at all." Colette said, disgusted at one dancer's admittedly thrown-together outfit. "I bet they wish they were as cool as us."

"Yeah, we're the classiest bitches in town!" Amara said, giving a thumbs up.

"I...didn't expect to hear that from you, Amara." Colette said, stunned.

"Sorry, I think the drink is taking it's toll on me! I need to go here with Zao sometime. I get the feeling he's got some cool moves." Amara said. As Stella returned with drinks and a very drunk Karen, Amara started to dance to the energetic violin song, which was a much better way to tire herself out than fighting Shadows.

_Half an hour later_

"Hey, where's Karen?" Lucy suddenly asked. "She got us drinks half an hour ago, then she went away."

"Oh god. She's not set her sights on another man, has she?" Colette asked. "With her clothes, there's no way a man would say no! Unless he's blind, of course."

"Colette, you - never mind. I'm going to find her." Amara said, glad to get away from dancing for a while.

Looking all over, she didn't see Karen, and started to get worried. Everyone else was just partying the night away, the smell of alcohol thick through the air.

"Karen! Where are you?" Amara tried shouting. With the loud music, of course, no one could hear her. "Oh, damn it! She's not gone to get married again, has she?!"

"Is something wrong, madam?" A man asked. He had short light blonde hair, with a bit of stubble, yellow eyes and despite being in a club, was smartly dressed, with a black shirt and a red tie. Not only that, he had shiny black shoes. _He's a bit overdressed for a club. I bet Colette could help him find a new wardrobe within minutes.  
_

"It's nothing serious, I'm just looking for someone. She's probably just gone to the bathroom." Amara said, and quickly ran away. Finally, in the corner of building, she saw Karen. Amara couldn't believe her eyes. Karen, completely inebriated, was desperately clinging to the arm of a college-aged boy, who looked very uncomfortable.

"Come on, let's go to my place! It's no fun on your own. I'll show you a good time!" Karen said, almost falling over.

"Someone help me! This witch won't let go!" the boy whimpered.

"Karen!" Amara shouted, running over. "Leave this dude alone! You're hurting him!"

"Oh, thank god! I thought she was gonna kill me! Hey, you're not so bad. Why don't you and me have a dance?" the boy asked, with a cocky smile.

"I can't right now, I'm sorry." Amara said, dragging Karen off. She thought he noticed the man with the tie staring at her, but she knew she had to get Karen home.

"What happened?" Colette asked. "Her makeup is all smeared!"

"Does that matter right now?! Karen, what have you been doing?" Lucy asked.

"She's been all over the men, that's what!" said a woman near them - one of the many whom Colette criticised. "Right slut, she is. She's been here before, going after any man in sight. You'd be better off without that whore." Amara had to admit, Karen wasn't behaving appropriately. Even so, she looked up to Karen. She may have been her boss, but she was a friend, and she had made great success in her career. Amara felt like punching the rude woman, but Stella grabbed her fist.

"Don't let it get to you, Amara. We need to get her home. I'm a bit tired now anyway." Stella said, calmly.

"Aww, seriously? Well, I guess there's next time. Karen, what do you think?" Colette asked.

"Ngh...oh...Roger..." Karen muttered, drunk out of her mind. Colette just blinked, confused.

"...If she thinks Colette is a man, then it's settled. We get her home!" Amara said. "Except I don't know her address."

"Me neither. Lucy, do you know?" Colette asked. "You _are _the assistant editor, after all!"

"Yes, I do know that! I know the address, but the only thing is, I don't think I can afford the cab fare." Lucy said, groaning. "I usually just get the night bus home, so I didn't think I'd need a cab."

"Don't worry, I'll cover the fare." The man with the tie had come up to them. Why was he offering to help? Lucy glared at him, but didn't say anything. "It's dangerous outside at this time of night. I'd like to make sure she gets home safely." He said.

"Okay, thanks. C'mon, let's go." Amara said, and they left the club, Stella and Lucy carrying a delirious Karen out of the club.

_Outside_

"You girls can go on ahead. I'll help Karen get home!" Amara said, after Lucy gave her the address. She was helping Karen walk, who didn't seem to even know where she was, considering she was mumbling something about 'igloos'.

"We're all going home now, right? See you Monday." Lucy said. "Oh, and I'll let you know how it went with Blaine. I just hope I don't oversleep."

"Oh, there are worse things that could happen than that. Not sleeping at all, and constantly yawning so it looks like you're bored is worse. You need to look interested, or he won't be!" Stella said.

"Not to mention wardrobe malfunctions. Oh my god, those are a nightmare on first dates!" Colette said. She, Stella and Lucy wandered off, leaving Amara with Karen and the well dressed man.

"Um, who are you?" Amara asked.

"I'm Roger Martin. I know I'm a bit overdressed, but I didn't really have any casual clothes to wear." he said. "It happens when your daily schedule revolves around meetings, constant phone calls or deciding which stores to open."

"You run a mall or something?" Amara asked. Since they were waiting for a cab in the queue, she might as well make conversation. Besides, she'd rather it was him than the man with the nose ring.

"Ray Solar Mall, to be precise. Not to brag, but I think I've done well. Since it opened, it's become one of the city's most popular shopping areas." Roger said, looking rather tired himself. "But it's been non-stop work since then. I don't get much time to go out like I used to. I guess I'm not 'cool' anymore."

"I wouldn't say that. You're not bad looking! I bet a lot of girls would think you were cool!" Amara said.

"Hey, handsome..." Karen said, still completely intoxicated. "Don't you look familiar...but you can't be him...he's young...and you wouldn't abandon me, would you?"

"Ignore her. She must get like this when left to herself. This is the first time I've ever gone out with her, actually." Amara said. "It was nice of you to help her out, though. I assure you, she's much better sober! Karen's my boss, and she just got divorced for the fourth time."

"Four divorces?" Roger said, with a solemn look on his face. "I see. Has she mentioned a first love before?" He asked.

"Huh? Yes, actually. She said he was some guy who wanted to be a successful businessman, and his name was Roger. Hold on, are you...?!"

Roger simply nodded, looking at Karen with pity. "Yes, I'm the same person. We haven't seen each other for 14 years."

"So you're the one she keeps talking about. I know it's none of my business, but what happened between you two?" Amara asked, trying to stop Karen from falling.

"I wanted to go study abroad, but she didn't want me to go. We had a huge fight, and I left, thinking I'd never come back. Truth is, I came back four years later, but I never found her again. I assumed she left the city. I wish I hadn't seen her like this." Roger said, as the cab came up to them. "Please get her home safely, and don't tell her it was me. I can't face her yet. I never saw this coming at all..."

"But wait!" Amara said. "I'm sure she'd love to see you when she's sober!"

"I assumed she had moved on...I guess I was wrong. It's my fault she ended up this way. Please, keep her safe. Goodnight." With that, Roger left, and Amara had to get Karen home herself.

_Karen's Apartment_

The place was perfect, almost showroom new. With nice glass modern furniture, a great view of the city, and a trendy looking kitchen, Amara looked at the large apartment in envy. Yet, she had to get Karen to bed and go home herself - and she was a little tipsy herself.

"Phew..." Amara said, leaving the room. Karen could barely walk, and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. "Just my luck." Luckily, Karen had a spare set of keys, so she could lock the door without leaving Karen in the apartment. Now that she had met the man Karen longed for, what should she do? She could probably find Roger in the mall if she wanted, but would Karen want that?

Yet, Karen's desperation had already led her to heartbreak, not once, or twice, but four times. Even then, she could have gone through tons of boyfriends who used her, knowing she wouldn't leave until things hit rock bottom.

"What can I do?" Amara asked herself. Without an answer in sight, she left the apartment, to head to her own. She may have only known Karen for a short while, but she still wanted to help her somehow.

_Other World, Takanawa Dojo_

Josephine was standing outside a dilapidated dojo, next to some broken ornament that used to be a tacky lion statue. With trash all over the path, and graffiti all over the walls, Josephine laughed.

"To think, the resonance came from this ugly place. My darling survivor, I will set you free now."

Walking towards the dojo, the wind blew, and the last leaves blew off the recently dead tree. Josephine knocked on the door, with no response.

"I know you're in there. Trust me, if you have any sense, you'll join us! I would welcome you with open arms, even if you were a Prince Charming or a damsel in distress. Let me show you something. Come forth, **Cybele**!"

Josephine's body, surrounded by a red aura, released an almost nude female with light orange skin. With long flowing silver hair with a black streak, she had scarlet eyes and pink lipstick, combined with faint yellow tattoos all over her body and a small jewel between her eyebrows. Her only clothing was a long white tabard and silver bracelets and anklets. Her face had an evil, sultry look, and she was armed with golden toothed swords.

The door of the dojo slowly opened, and Josephine smiled, with evil delight.

"Ah, you poor beautiful maiden. How tragic that you wasted your gift, stuck in this lonely shell. Do not fear me. I will save you from this wretched land. Move out of the dark, and take my hand." Josephine said, holding out her hand.

The woman in the darkness took her hand, and Josephine chuckled. This was a victory over Archibald at last.

_Other World, Farawell, Derelict Skyscraper  
_

Archibald stood outside the skyscraper, which over the years had became uninhabited and infested with insects, as well as many Shadows. Yet, he had heard reports of homeless men trying to get inside for refuge. They were desperate for any kind of shelter, even if they had to spend the night in fear of a Shadow attack. Recently, these men had been driven out of the skyscraper with serious injuries. One of them didn't even make it out at all. Their reports were almost incomrephensible, but they all mentioned a 'scary man' who had strange summoning magic.

"Well, a Persona user hiding from us, ey? I think you'll find that I'm much tougher to get rid of than a few measly vagrants." Archibald looked up at the crumbling structure, with a sinister glint in his eyes. "I'm sure Josephine won't be happy to find out about this. That merely sweetens the pot, of course."


	28. Chapter 28: Darkness Brewing

**Chapter 28: Darkness Brewing**

_Aeternus Headquarters, Meeting Room_

Nihane had arranged yet another meeting for the Ater Vox, to take place first thing in the morning. Nina, Carlos, and Pierre didn't look particularly interested, but Archibald and Josephine had smug looks of self importance. Nihane looked around, and waited for someone to break the uncomfortable silence.

"I wasn't expecting this again so soon. I can't say this is a pleasant surprise. Why are we even here?" Pierre said, looking very bored.

"You'll find out soon enough. I'm sure it'll interest you, especially if it involves completing the Eternal Road quicker." Nihane said. Pierre immediately sat up, focused. "See?"

"You're certainly proud of yourself, Josephine." Archibald said, looking at her rather pompous expression with indifference. "Do you have something to announce?"

"I certainly do. It took me a rather long while, but I finally recruited a new Persona user last night. The poor darling...she's so frightened, like a lost child. Good thing I found her. She wasn't difficult to manipulate - far from it. Now with her, the next Divine Spark can come into being!" Josephine said, with an air of self-satisfaction. "It's disappointing that it wasn't a charming young man. Alas, that does not matter. I'm going to enjoy deploying her in battle!"

"As long as she fights better than the Holy Cross, good. It's high time we gave those rebels some pain." Pierre said, busy flicking through a document on Ornatu Legion members. "I do hope you've gathered data on her fighting statistics."

"Of course I did. I would never slack off on something such as this! Her Persona is rather potent. I've already told Nihane about the details, but I'll give you the information on your screens." Josephine said, pushing a button on her desks. Everyone stared at the data, intrigued.

"So, her Persona's name is **Aeshma**. I see. Yes, she does seem rather strong. Ice and Dark spells, as well as some abilities we don't often see. Well done, Josephine! Nihane, don't you think Josephine did wonderfully?" Nina asked, staring lovingly into Nihane's eyes.

"Yes, she's performed admirably. If only you could produce interesting results, then it might actually be worth keeping you in the Ater Vox." Nihane said, not looking away from the data. "However, Josephine, your glorious moment might be dampened by the next development." Josephine looked up, worried, as Nihane had yet another sadistic smile. "Archibald found a Persona user as well last night. I suppose this is yet another tie?"

"What?!" Josephine shouted. "You never told me that! Ugh!" Archibald shrugged as she banged her fists on the desk, clearly nonplussed about his colleague's anger. "You slimy dog. I bet this one's just an uncouth vandal, just like that brutish Commander. You know how well he turned out, everyone!"

"Josephine, calm yourself. This contest between you two is stupid. Can't we just work together to bring about the Eternal Road?" Carlos said. Josephine swore under her breath, whilst Archibald turned to the door, and pushed the button that opened it.

"Well, now that that's out of the way, I'd like to introduce you to a man I found toiling away on a machine all night. He tried to assault me, but soon realised the potential of the freedom I could offer him."

The door opened, and everyone stared at the fearsome man who stepped in.

_Clairdol Village_

On the island of Motus, there were some beautiful sights outside the hustle and bustle of the city. These were namely the theme park, filled with exhilarating rides, and the Lucille Hill, which overlooked the city. However, further away than these was the quiet Clairdol Village, which only fishermen from the city visited often. Those living in the village preferred the lovely countryside around them, and the spotless beach nearby.

Today, visiting the village was Nathan, with Priscilla. Also in the luxurious car were Tara and Adrian. Last night had been wonderful, as Tara performed in the orchestra and the singer Adrian signed released her first single. "You were brilliant, Tara. You had everyone crying with that solo!"

"Thanks! I was kind of teary myself. I don't know why, but playing the violin brings out my full emotions. Music is the language every soul speaks, after all!" Tara said, gazing at the sea from the car, as they drove along the road.

"Hey, Nathan, perhaps we could invite some of your friends next time. Like that Serena girl, or the Amara woman. Then there's that Blaine person I've heard you speaking to!" Priscilla said. "The one that calls you to tell you dirty jokes at night? I swear, he has a rather...adult imagination."

"Um...Well, he's not really the sophisticated type. I don't know if he'd appreciate the subtle majesty of a concert - especially with such a talented violinist!" Nathan said. Tara laughed, seemingly used to compliments.

"Well, you never know. Some people just need that exposure to culture! I doubt they'll get that when they listen to Purple Q's song, though. Can you believe it? It's called 'Fruit Salad'! And the whole thing is auto tuned. I mean, the entire thing. It sucks being a young record producer..." Adrian said.

"It wasn't that bad! Still, maybe you need to look for someone a bit more talented. Someone that you can work with. Maybe I'll ask around at work and see if anyone knows anyone good!" Priscilla said.

"Thanks for trying, but I can't imagine any upcoming stars at Albion Inc. Oh yeah, you two haven't met Tara's grandparents, have you?" Adrian said.

"They're in charge of the village, right?" Nathan said. "I heard a bit about them. Something about them being sad Tara's parents don't visit them very much."

"Yeah, it's a shame. I love them a lot, but me and my parents are busy all the time. Whenever they're asked to baby-sit, they leap up at the opportunity. They'll be glad to see me, I know it!" Tara said, as the village grew closer. "We're nearly there. Welcome to Clairdol Village, guys!"

_Legarte, Café Roma_

As Lucy arrived outside the popular Italian venue, she smiled. The restaurant had received stunning praise in the thirty years of service, and had become a popular place for both romantic evenings and other celebrations. This was not the kind of place Lucy expected Blaine to take her, considering where he came from. Despite what Amara told her, she still didn't really know what sort of person he was. He apparently was funny, dependable, and 'a good guy'. It didn't seem like she had known him for very long, though. He was also partial to a few drinks, which Lucy had already gathered from watching him when she first met him. Also, he loved riding his motorcycle, which he had titled 'Black Lightning'.

"This might be an okay afternoon, I suppose..." Lucy said, checking her phone. She had a new message from Amara, and quickly checked it.

**Hey Lucy, I got Karen home, and she'll be alright. I'll tell you about that guy who helped me later. Good luck! I'd say he's as nervous as you are, but he's not really the nervous type. So relax.**

And a second later, she got a message from Stella. Upon reading it, she rolled her eyes.

**He will be there in fifty-two seconds.**

Less than a minute had gone by, and sure enough, she heard the roar of a motorcycle engine. Right before her eyes, there was a jet black motorcycle with a sharp lightning bolt design. And riding it was a man with a matching helmet, who took it off to show the familiar face she had waited to see. Blaine smiled, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now that's a cool ride!" she said, staring in awe. She had never paid much attention to motorcycles before, but she found something captivating about his. Not to mention, leather jackets were something of a turn-on for her. "Oh, and you look pretty cool yourself."

"Same to you. I was worried in case you got cold feet!" Blaine said. Lucy's face went a bright red, as she struggled to think of something to say. "Glad you came."

"Don't get too excited. I just needed something to do on a Saturday afternoon that wasn't listening to a piano for four hours straight. Do these clothes look alright?" Lucy said. Rather than take Colette's extensive advice, she wore a lilac t-shirt with music notes on it (a gift from Shirley), pink pants and purple shoes. To complete the girly look was a bright blue headband with colourful flowers on it.

"Hey, you could wear a bin bag and I'd still have come. You don't have to worry about that. Enough worrying, babydoll! Let's eat!" Blaine said, taking Lucy's arm. A little flustered, she kept quiet as they went inside.

"Who are you calling 'babydoll'?"

_Clairdol Village, The Miller's House_

"It's lovely to meet you, Nathan and Priscilla. Tara told us all about you." Mrs Miller said. "I hope you stay for lunch. I made a lovely casserole."

"So, which one of them's Nathan? That blonde guy?" said Mr Miller. Priscilla just stared, bewildered.

"Darling, put your glasses on!" Mrs Miller said, laughing. "Sorry, he's blind as bat without them! When we had the Finnegan's daughter last week, she broke the glasses, and...oh dear, the amount of broken china I had to sweep up."

"Come on dear, without your hearing aid you're as deaf as a doorknob!" Mr Miller said.

"It's a lovely village you have here. Nathan, we should take a look around. I'd love to see all the local shops!" Priscilla said.

"Yes, I'd love to. We can go after lunch." Nathan said. "Oh yes, Tara was wonderful in last night's concert."

"Yes, she called us last night to tell us all about it! She got us a ticket for the recital next month. I just hope I can handle the crowds of the city." Mrs Miller said.

"Oh, is that Tara's father?" Adrian said, looking at the little boy in the photograph above the fireplace. He was white, so he didn't bear a strong resemblance to his daughter, yet they shared eye colour and some facial features. Tara's mother, however, was black, having moved to New Motus City from Jamaica when she was a young adult.

"Yes, it is. He was such a cute boy. Ever since he was little, he was so fond of airplanes. He kept wanting to visit the airport just to watch the planes landing, and kept pestering us for toy planes for his birthdays." Mrs Miller said, with a sorrowful look on her face. "Excuse me, I have to heat up the casserole." she said, going into the kitchen. Mr Miller looked sad, but said nothing.

"It's been a while since I was last here. It never changes, this place. I hope it stays that way." Adrian said. "The city's great and all, but coming here really calms me down after a long week."

"Please, yesterday your lunch break lasted from noon till 2pm." Nathan said, sniggering. "I only had fifteen minutes, myself..."

_Café Roma_

"So, have you been here before?" Lucy asked, as they sat near the front of the restaurant, by a window. She had to admit, looking at Blaine more closely, he really was rather handsome. Especially those brown eyes. She couldn't help but gaze directly into them. If only she hadn't been so rude when they first met, then this first date would had happened sooner. His hair could use a bit of work, she thought. And he could do with shaving more often.

"Ha, not on my salary. I just thought it'd be a better first date than the diner near my place. It's where that waitress got murdered." Blaine said. Lucy laughed, yet awkwardly. Hopefully, he was joking. He was smiling, so he likely was. "Anyway, tell me about yourself. What's a gorgeous lady like you doing in this city?"

"Gorgeous, me? Come on, stop it! This is not a romantic comedy!" Lucy said, embarrassed. "Well, I used to live in California. I moved here a few years ago to go to college. And...oh, I got a job as assistant editor at Real People magazine. It's been pretty good so far, but everyone keeps making fun of the way I tell people to work harder. I've been called a slave driver so many times..."

"Well, they _are_ your slaves! You gotta crack that whip and get them in gear, so you can plot your evil takeover! Right?" Blaine said, grinning.

"Haha! How did you know of my plans? But seriously. Most of the time, the girls don't want to hang out with me. Except Colette, even if all she wants to do is talk about how great the 50% sale at Rosa Candida is."

"What about Amara? You don't get along with her?" Blaine asked.

"Well, I can tell she thinks I'm annoying. Every time I tell her I don't think she should draw something that way, she'll just sigh, pout and look miserable whilst she's changing it. I know she's an artist, so she probably just wants to do it however she wants, but I want it to be right for the magazine. You know?"

"Hey, I think I get what you mean. You can't have it your way all the time. Otherwise, we'd be eating lobster in Nova Albion by now!" Blaine said.

"If you did that, I'd have to smack you! I hate lobster!" Lucy said, a bit happier now. "Still…it's a good job. Once I'm done with college, I might ask Karen if I can work there full time!"

"Sounds good! Better than my stupid job, anyway." Blaine said.

"How come you're working there, of all places?" Lucy asked.

"Well, thing is, growing up in Kanaloa kinda means you're screwed from the get-go." Blaine said, looking out the window.

"Oh. I've never been there before. Not really the tourist trap most people want to go to. Is it really as bad as they say?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, if not worse. Still, it's home. Besides, there's something awesome about riding my motorcycle all night long, even if it wakes up the entire neighbourhood!" Blaine said.

"Ha...you're such a kid!" Lucy said, laughing. "Sounds like my old place. Except instead of a motorcycle, it was usually a group of frat boys with a whole keg of beer."

"Reminds me of high school!" Blaine said, and the two of them laughed. He was petrified that he might screw today up - then he'd have to wait another four years to find someone else. Still, Lucy looked like she was enjoying herself.

"Anyway, let's hear about you! Amara told me some things, but not much. You got any wild and exciting stories?" Lucy asked.

"Oh, plenty! Let me tell you about my last birthday. After four pints of lager on a boat, suffice to say things got out of hand for everyone involved. I'm surprised I still have all my limbs." Blaine said. "The boat was never the same after that..."

_Serena's House_

"So did you watch _Gorgeous Goddess _last night?" Serena said, as she and Kyle sat in the living room, about to watch some _Polar Bear Café._

"Yeah, I did! I have to say, I searched for her after it finished, and _damn_ you would not believe all the naked drawings of her. Usually other girls were in those drawings." Kyle said, drinking some soda.

"Eew. Why do people think anime girls are so hot? I mean, they're not real!" Serena said.

"You're such a hypocrite. You have a poster of Vash the Stampede on your wall!" Kyle said, shaking his head. "Not to mention the drawings of Kimimaro..."

"Hey, that's because, I - shut up!" Serena said, playfully punching Kyle in the shoulder. "It's great being here all alone, isn't it?"

"Yeah, definitely! I asked mom if I could stay over, and she said yes!" Kyle said, smiling. "Um, did you ever have your hair short?"

"No, why?" Serena asked. "I think I've always had my hair this length."

"Oh, no reason, I'm just imagining things. Oh yeah, I saw Dan the other day. He's a nice guy. It feels a lot like I've met him before." Kyle said.

"Really? Do you think maybe it's because he reminds you of Matthew?" Serena said.

"No, I don't think that's it." Kyle said. "Never mind, it's probably just my imagination again. So, I wonder what's for dinner?"

"Ugh. Kyle, do I have to say it? Because I'm not willing to say that I could eat octopus like creatures!" Serena said, sighing.

Kyle burst out laughing, and Serena did too. Yet, she began to fear something. Could Kyle be experiencing memories of his other self? Perhaps she needed to see the other Kyle soon. It had been over a week since she last saw him. She needed to get back into the hang of fighting Shadows, so no more Divine Sparks would commence. No one else she cared about was going to die there, and she would see to it. She'd change to all the job classes in the world until she found the one that worked the best.

_Other World, Secret Base_

Things had been very quiet since the Divine Spark destroyed Farawell Cathedral. Aeternus simply stated that a 'gas leak' had been responsible, and that there was no reason to panic. They quickly sealed off the mysterious shadowy crater that lied where the Cathedral was, yet one could still see an ethereal glow.

Kyle was back on his computer, and apart from Dan, he hadn't spoken to any of the others. They ate in silence most nights, and after that, they went their separate ways to train or search for suspicious activity. Yet, Kyle wasn't happy doing that. He wanted them to feel like a family, just like before.

"Oh, you're still here? Everyone else went out for some fresh air ages ago. Wanna go kill some Shadows with me?" Dan said, walking over.

"In a minute. I want to see if anything's been going on." Kyle said, trying to hide that his eyes were welling up. Yet, trying to hide anything from Dan was futile.

"You crying?" Dan asked.

"No, I've started slicing onions for kicks! I...sorry. Dammit, things just _suck_ right now! Just when I thought we were finally getting somewhere! Eight people died last week, and I couldn't save Serena! Not only that, no one speaks to each other anymore, and the guys from the other world haven't been here in ages! I..." Kyle soon burst into tears, drowning out the rest of his muttering.

"Come on, buddy. No matter what, you gotta be tough. That sounded cooler in my head. I need better pep talks. Okay, then, your mom wouldn't want you sit here moping around. Neither would Serena - either one of them. They'll be back here soon, so you gotta be tough for them! It's hard, I know...I'm sad too. Blaine was my best friend, and I might have forgiven him, if he was serious about fighting the Ater Vox. Now I can't, but you gotta be a man and stand strong. Hey, that sounded good!" Dan said.

"I'm only sixteen. I'm not a man..." Kyle said, rolling his eyes.

"Well, then I'll just have to be a man for both of us!" Dan said. He ruffled Kyle's hair, laughing, and the lad chuckled a bit too. "So, shall we go now?"

"Sure, it's better than staying here all day. Wait, look at this. It's all weird, but it says **Aeshma**. Something about Bufula and Mudo, but there's nothing in the Ornatu Legion database about any Aeshma."

"Really? That's messed up. Guess we have something new to worry about, then." Dan said, looking at the partially corrupt data. "Wait, what's that file called 4A414E414C4FF1?"

_Clairdol Village, Beach_

Nathan and Priscilla were standing side by side, watching the waves gently grace the sands. It was so tranquil, compared to the tons of people who came to the beach in Saragel. Holding Priscilla's hand, Nathan couldn't help but worry about the future. Things were wonderful now, but if he did take over as CEO, could he handle it? Would he have time to spend with Priscilla as well as control his corporation?

"Nathan, what are you thinking about?" Priscilla asked, her head resting on Nathan's shoulder.

"Oh, nothing. I just want this moment to last forever."

"You're such a sweetheart! That's why I love you. We'll be back here, I know it! No matter what happens, we have to come back here. Not tomorrow, or soon, but after a long while. Then we can think about how far we've come since then!" Priscilla said. "I don't know what'll happen, except that we'll still be together!"

"That's right. That's the only thing certain about our future." Nathan said, his heart soaring. Yet, he felt sorrow within. The other Priscilla must be suffering so much. Her long-lost love had finally returned, but he was gone again all too briefly. And this time, he wasn't coming back. For her sake, he had to come back to that world. Tomorrow, he and the others would return, ready to fight the manifestations of darkness once more.

_Café Roma_

"So the two of you actually tried sumo wrestling? And thought you could pull it off?" Lucy asked. "Damn, you two get up to all sorts, don't you?"

"Damn straight. But since we're mature adults now that we've over thirty, we've calmed down. Just a little, of course." Blaine said, laughing. The food had been great, but being with Lucy was even better. Somehow, she was listening and even laughing to all his tales of drunken debauchery, or how he hated his job sometimes. He wondered how she would react if he fought Shadows at night - Amara and Nathan must have thought the same thing with Zao and Priscilla. Now he knew why they hated lying to them so much.

"You know, it's like me and Shirley, actually. I actually first met her a decade ago, when me and my folks went on vacation. She was sitting in the park, reading sheet music, and I walked up to her and told her it looked boring. So she started crying, and I felt bad. I apologised over and over, and to cheer her up, I asked her to play! So I gave her the keyboard my dad had, and she started playing the most beautiful song I'd ever heard."

"You two are best friends, right?" Blaine said.

"Of course. Without her, I'd go crazy! When we had to go home, she cried her eyes out. She's a year older than me, but she sure as hell didn't act it then. So I told her that I'd write to her every week. And I did! She kept every single letter, and sometimes, I look at them, and I laugh at how stupid I sounded. Me whining about my parents, my friends at school, or the lunch lady's sex change operation. I'm not boring you, am I?"

"Not at all. Like you said, me and Dan are the same. It's not all beer and motorcycles. We've had some dark times, but the less said about those, the better. I guess in life, there's always someone you'd do anything for. Right?"

"Yeah. Still, I can't hang around her all the time. That's why I want to be better friends with the girls at work. Oh and I wouldn't mind doing this again." she said, blushing.

"You know something? Me neither. Looks like the Spencer charm makes a glorious comeback!" Blaine said, smiling. All he wanted to do for the rest of the day was just look at her eyes. Those enticing, feisty green eyes...they kept starting into his own. And he loved every second of it.

"I guess so! Thanks for today. I didn't think you'd be so exciting..." Lucy said.

"What can I say? When you're going out with someone like Lucille Victoria Crossman, you have to pull out all the stops. How about a ride home?" Blaine asked.

"Uh, on that thing? Wouldn't I fall off?" Lucy asked, worried.

"No problem! You can just use my helmet!" Blaine said.

"But what about you? Isn't it dangerous?"

"You kidding me? I've been driving these babies since I was seventeen, and I've never had an accident!. C'mon, it'll be great. The rush of zooming past all the other cars on the road, everyone complaining about the noise! It's the best thing ever, trust me!"

"Oh, alright then. Just don't take any sharp turns!" Lucy said, as they left the table.

"Haha! Don't tempt me, missy! I'll have you know that I'm the king of turning!" Blaine said.

"That doesn't sound right..." Lucy said. After a short silence, the two of them burst out laughing.

"Lucy, I think this is the start of a beautiful relationship." Blaine said, with another warm smile.

After a week's break from the other world, Blaine couldn't be happier. Lucy actually seemed to like him. Until he saw Lucy this week, all he could think about was his other self. To think he'd spent a whole decade alone, with only the Holy Cross as company. While he didn't think they were bad people, he could imagine getting on his nerves after a long time. Even worse, just when people trusted him again, he got himself killed.

Blaine decided he couldn't end up like that. Unlike his other self, he wasn't alone. And he never wanted to be again.

"You look serious all of a sudden. What's up?" Lucy asked.

"Uh...just thinking about how lucky I am to have someone so sexy with me." Blaine said.

"Oh come on! You already get to go out with me. You don't need to say stuff like that anymore! ...Although it's kind of cute!" Lucy said, giggling.

_Aeternus Headquarters, Josephine's Room_

Sitting at her sleek computer, Josephine furiously typed, eager to find a flaw in Archibald's latest Ornatu Persona Implementation program she could fix. Perhaps understandably, the entire thing was glitch free.

"You clever fossil. You make it such a challenge to beat you. Know this, my rival. No matter how many brilliant algorithms you create, one day I will prove I'm the greatest. It will be Aeshma who will usher in the next Divine Spark, not your ridiculous octopus champion!"

She would not wait another ten years for the next Divine Spark - it would be her Persona combatant that would find and awaken the next land. She had already proven her beauty to her peers - now it was time to prove her talents. "Yes, no matter how old you are, I'll beat you no matter what. You'll screw up at some point, I know it! Then I'll be the one they look up to. You decrepit slug! You just watch me!"

"Josephine, who are you talking to?" said Carlos, outside her room.

"No one! Get lost, Carlos!"

"Okay. Weirdo." Carlos said, leaving. Josephine turned to her computer, and instead started looking at all the Personas available on the database. Perhaps she could add that **Gurr **one at some point. Or perhaps **Ubelluris**.

Just then, the door knocked. "Come in...Karen."


	29. Chapter 29: Dominion of Law

**Chapter 29: Dominion of Law**

_Farawell_

"So, we're finally going back." Amara said, outside. "I hope the others are okay."

"Well, I doubt Priscilla is. The others, I don't know. Still, it's about time we learned what happened after the Divine Spark appeared." Nathan said.

"What have you guys been doing since we last met, anyway? I saw Nathan in Caramathia the other day, but Priscilla was there, so we couldn't really talk much." Serena said. "Me and Kyle have just been watching TV or playing games. He'll be in France soon though, so it'll be really boring till he gets back."

"Well, on Friday I was out with the girls at work. Yet, things got way out of hand. Especially after Karen had one too many." Amara said, telling them all about how Karen got incredibly drunk and began going after any man walking, Roger helping her, and how they used to date.

"Wow, really? I kind of know Roger, actually. He used to go to my high school!" Blaine said. "That's how I got the job, actually."

"Oh, really? I didn't think the owner of that place was from Kanaloa. Well done to him!" Nathan said. "Anyway, what about you?"

"Well, guess which stud went out with a beautiful woman yesterday?" Blaine said, with a sly grin.

"Let me think. Well, me and Kyle didn't really go out yesterday, so -"

"Me, stupid! Me and Lucy!" Blaine said. There was a certain pride in his voice as he said this.

"Oh yeah! How did that go? She didn't pour her drink over you or slap you?" Amara said.

"Ha, no! That was the last girlfriend I had. We just had a good time. Lucy's a great girl, you know. Why don't you try talking to her more, Amara?" Blaine asked.

"Huh? Well, I find it hard to talk to her, really. Besides, I prefer hanging out with Stella." Amara said.

"So are you going to see this Lucy woman again?" Nathan asked.

"Definitely. Sure, she screamed a lot when I gave her a ride home, but I think they were fun screams, not 'please stop hurting me' screams. Not that I'm an expert at telling screams apart. But...I can't wait to see her again." Blaine said, excited.

"That's great!" Serena said. Amara thought back to Zao's quadruple date suggestion. Perhaps they could pull it off one night, and have some fun. "We should meet her sometime!"

"Oh, I'll introduce you to her soon enough. It's been years since I last had a girlfriend, so I'm glad I asked her out. Anyway, let's go inside! I can't wait to kill some Shadows tonight!" Blaine said, cracking his knuckles.

_Secret Base_

The basement looked the same as before, with Kyle at his computer, and the girls sitting at the table, in silence.

"Oh, it's you!" Kyle's face was filled with joy at the sight of Serena. "I was worried you weren't coming back!"

"It's good to see you all again. Things are still a bit tense, but we're trying to make an effort. Dan gave us a big talking to last night." Aimee said. Priscilla stared at the table, saying nothing, whilst Seraphina stood up. "Despite what happened, stopping now is pointless."

"Ultimately, we're still united by our goal to save this city. So we have to deal with our loss now, and fight with all our strength. Yet, there has been no news from Aeternus - they blame the Cathedral's destruction on a gas leak." Seraphina said.

"Those bastards! Eight people died and no one knows the truth!" Blaine said, angry. Priscilla looked like she was about to cry, and Nathan opened his mouth to speak. Yet, he couldn't find the words. "So where's Dan?"

"He's at The Mole again. He likes to listen to the piano lady, even if she doesn't even look at him. Well, I suppose it's nice to relax and listen to some music, especially in this situation." Kyle said. "Anyway, there's nothing exciting going on, so -"

"I wouldn't be so sure of that."

In front of everyone, the cloaked man appeared. _What the hell? He shows up after all this time?!_

"Last night, you discovered files that detailed something named **Aeshma**. However, I know what it really is. Allow me." the cloaked man said.

"Hey! What are you doing, mister?!" Kyle shouted. The cloaked man ignored him, and went to the computer. After a fair amount of typing, something strange happened. A window appeared, and a video started playing. The sound was rather fuzzy, but it slowly cleared up.

"This is a live broadcast of sorts. Watch. This is part of their plan to bring forth the Eternal Road." The cloaked man said.

"They're doing a podcast?" Serena asked.

The location was a church, on a much smaller scale than the Farawell Cathedral. Two people were standing by the altar - a tall brunette woman, with a black shirt, skirt and boots and a bronze tiara. The other was another brunette woman, with her hair in a curly ponytail. She was wearing a long white fur-lined jacket with a blue vest, black skirt and blue shoes, and she had a white sword by her side.

"Greetings, loyal viewers! I am Josephine Johnson, one of the Ater Vox! It is with severe regret that I announce that the Holy Cross and the Commander of the Ornatu Legion have been incapacitated. Yet, do not fear, beloved citizens of New Motus City. The end of your troubles nears. I bring forth the mighty champion. Her Persona shines bright, and smites the evils that plague our once glorious nation!" Josephine said.

"The hell is this shit?" Blaine asked. "Incapacitated? My ass!"

"Who's that woman by her side?" Serena asked. "She looks petrified!"

"Correct. Josephine intends to use her for the next Divine Spark." the cloaked man said.

"No! It can't be her!" Amara couldn't believe it. She didn't recognise her at first, but the woman was...

"Karen Marshall, ladies and gentlemen! She was chosen by God to wield the glorious power of Aeshma, poor Karen was lost without our guidance. Yet, thanks to divine intervention, Karen lives to see this day! Karen, the first of a brand new order of the Ornatu Legion - the Last Soldiers!" Josephine said.

"Last Soldiers? What?!" Nathan said, looking at the screen with incredulity.

"We intend to find more Persona users like Karen. Tell me, Karen, how did you awaken to Aeshma's holy power?" Josephine asked, with a fake smile.

"I was alone, in a church, and I was scared. There was someone I wanted to see, more than anything else. Yet, in that moment, I realised I would never see him again. Then, those evil Shadows came, and in my final moments I prayed to God. Then Aeshma came out of my body. God saved me." Karen said.

"Yes, as I said, you were chosen by God himself to one day aid us. Viewers! You can count on Karen, as God's holy warrior, to save you! As for now, an entire regiment of the Ornatu Legion shall become her holy vanguard. The Shadows that taunt us and bring us suffering shall see the light of judgment!" Josephine bellowed, to thunderous applause. Then, the transmission ended.

"Karen!" Amara said. "No! I can't believe it!"

"It's true. Karen was already tormented to begin with, yet she still managed to gain a Persona. Only those with strong hearts can obtain them, yet she is taken in by falsehoods. Therefore, you must save her. Her power is not one given by any God, but one born of her own heart. Only once she realises that, will her true power shine!" the cloaked man said.

"Cool story bro. How are we gonna save this chick, though?" Blaine asked.

"Take this code, young man. You'll need it to encounter Karen tonight. Whether or not you save her tonight or later is uncertain, but you cannot wait until the next Divine Spark appears." After giving Kyle a piece of paper, he vanished.

"Uh..." Kyle said. "I guess we're back in action, then?"

"Looks like it. Amara, do you know this Karen woman?" Aimee asked.

"Yeah. She's my boss in our world. And I think I know what she meant by a man she wanted to see. Her first love, Roger Martin! The owner of the mall!" Amara said.

"So she got crazy after he disappeared, and turned to God? What a crazy bitch!" Blaine said.

"Don't say that! I'm sure Karen just needs someone to talk some sense into her. I can just tell that Josephine is only using her! That horrid old crone!" Aimee said. "Amara, it'll be alright! Let's go!"

"We're going to trust that cloaked guy?" Kyle said, bewildered. "Come on, guys!"

"He showed us what was going on with Karen, and I think he's a good guy. It's nice to have a spirit guide!" Serena said. "Let's go!"

"Priscilla, are you coming?" Nathan asked. Looking up, her face went pale, and she shook her head.

"Well, I'll stay here, then." Aimee said. "I'll tell Dan what's happening, but knowing him, he'll be too busy drinking or getting into fights to do anything useful!"

"That's my Dan!" Blaine said, proud. "C'mon, let's go!" And so, they went through the NDD, with no idea where it would lead.

_The Mole_

Once more, the bar was filled with rowdy patrons, leering at the blue haired beauty playing the piano. She was the only person in the bar with a hint of grace. She looked young, but her talent was like a maestro who had trained for decades. Dan used to just come in here for a cheap drink, but ever since he saw her play for the first time, he kept hoping to see her again. She was here tonight, and thus Dan had something else to focus on.

"Hey, lady! Why don't you stop playing that crap and come with me?" one of the uncouth men said, but the lady said nothing. "Hey, I'm talking to you! Don't ignore me, you little-"

Before he could finish, a blindingly fast fist hit him across the face.

"What the fuck - argh!"

"You wanted something with her?" Dan asked, fist still clenched.

"Dan?! I...never mind! I'm getting the hell out of here!" He ran away as fast as he could, before Dan could hit him again. She continued playing, without a flicker of emotion in her face. Once she was finished with her song, she stood up, about to leave.

"Um, excuse me!" Dan said, She turned to look at him, but didn't say a word. "I'm Daniel. I just wanted to say how amazing you are. How did you learn to play like that?"

"I play for a friend." The lady said. Dan stared at her for a little while longer, and she sighed. "What?"

"Nothin'! It's just nice to hear you play. And, well, I hope you don't mind me sayin' it, but you're one pretty lady."

"Oh." The woman said. "It doesn't matter. There's only one person that I want to hear my music, and it's not you." With that, she got up left.

"You're not very good at making a first impression, are you?" Kaman said, pouring some drinks.

"I guess not." Dan said, finishing his drink. Even though she wasn't interested in him at all, he wanted to see her again. That beautiful music, and her beautiful face made his heart beat a little bit faster. In a world like this, he needed something to take his mind away from the fighting. And that was her.

_Aeternus Headquarters, Archibald's Office_

Archibald was looking at his computer, whilst Carlos and Pierre were standing by the door, waiting to be noticed. "Oh, you're here. What's the matter?"

"Archie, did you see that live broadcast?! Josephine's trying to make out that Karen woman to be the Messiah!" Carlos said. "All so she can look better than you!"

"Oh, Carlos, do you really think I have time to worry about a popularity contest? That Josephine only cares about her looks, and beating someone with actual skill. I'm the one that taught her everything she knows." Archibald said.

"Even so, aren't you going to do anything? Like, tell everyone how great your Persona hero is?" Pierre said.

"There's no need to cater to the needs of the public. They're ignorant masses, who can't see the potential of the new era when it's right in front of them. Unlike Josephine, I'm not using my new Persona user for personal glory. Let her do as she please! I'll calculate the results of her plight from afar, as ever." Archibald said, nonchalant.

_Abandoned Hotel_

The lobby of the hotel had been abandoned for a long time. The wallpaper was torn, the clocks had stopped, most of the windows were boarded up, and there was graffiti on the wall reading 'ATLUS RULE 666'.

"Eew!" Amara said, as she sniffed around. "What's up with this place? It smells horrible!"

"Why would Karen be here?" Nathan asked. "For an almighty warrior chosen by God, this is hardly an appropriate place -"

"Quiet! Someone's coming! Hide under the reception desk!" Seraphina said. Everyone quickly dashed under the desk, Kyle just barely hidden.

"This hotel was once a den of sin, my dear Karen. now, it shall become a grand beacon of hope! You and the Ornatu Legion members I shall give you will become noble warriors, with this place to be your base of operations!" Josephine said.

"Sounds fantastic! I can't wait. With you helping me, I finally have the courage to fight. Praise be to God, that you found me and took me in. Will it take long to renovate this hotel?" Karen asked.

"Oh, that depends." Josephine said.

"Hmm? Depends on what?" Karen said, looking worried.

"On the number of squatters!" Josephine said, and suddenly, something rapidly struck the desk, slashing it to pieces. _Oh god. _

"Seraphina, didn't you see this coming?" Amara asked.

"Not entirely..." Seraphina said. "Curses! My gift failed me!"_  
_

"Ah, so it's you! My dashing Nathan! How thoughtful of you to wait here, just for me. There's no need to hide your handsome face anymore."

"Josephine, do you know these ghastly people?!" Karen asked, frightened. "Don't tell me they're fighting against God!"

"Oh, my poor Karen. It is a shame, but they are indeed sinful sons of man. Yet Nathan was supposed to have perished in the Cathedral fiasco! So why is there a Nathan here, hmm?" Josephine asked, with a smug look.

"We're not telling you anything, witch! I have to save Karen!" Amara shouted.

"Oh, do you know her in the _other_ world?" Everyone gasped, except for Karen, who was still scared. "That's right. Nihane told me. Four of you are indeed from an alternate dimension. How else would that disgusting rogue Blaine be there, without any scars on his face?"

"Wait, she prefers Nathan to me? This chick got no taste!" Blaine shouted.

"_Hey_!" Nathan said. "Josephine, you murdered my father! Why did you do that?! He was innocent!"

"Is that so, handsome? If he was such a innocent man, why did he not tell his wife about our little trysts? Hmm?" Josephine said, pure evil radiating from every word. Karen wasn't listening, backing away. _Trysts? Her and Nathan's dad?!_

"You bitch! You take that back! _Now_!" Nathan screamed. "You and him did no such thing!"

"Oh, but we did. It wasn't a one off, either. Nor was it merely physical - although that _was_ certainly a bonus. Alas, your precious father and I were in love! A far deeper, stronger love than between him and that spineless cow he married. Then I realised - I could use this power to remain beautiful forever!" Josephine said. "With this power, I could easily replace dear old Reginald for a younger model. Unfortunately, the Nathan here is dead. And even if he was alive, he'd still be with that silly Priscilla slut!"

"Don't you _dare_ call her that!" Nathan, unable to contain himself, called upon Setanta, and sent piercing winds at Josephine. Her Persona, Cybele, emerged again, and struck him with a Magnara spell.

"Oh, did I touch a nerve? Your father died because I didn't want to see him get old! His handsome looks were fading, so I merely ended it early. Of course, framing the Commander was an added bonus! Making you fools angry is so much fun." Josephine goaded.

"Josephine...these people are terrifying!" Karen said, shaking. "Why won't they leave us alone?!"

"It's alright, dear Karen. You can face them. Allow me to toy with them for a while!" Josephine said, grinning. "Show them the power of Aeshma!"

"Yes Madam. Oh glorious power of God! The one who bears his power, aid me! Guide me to peace and safety, away from all that is evil! Descend from the heavens! Oh, Aeshma!" Karen shouted, and with a blue aura explosion, a female Persona emerged. Her eyes were solid green, and her blonde hair was incredibly long and thick. She wore a black dress with gold patterns, green shoulder armour, black gloves and golden heels, and she carried a jewel encrusted mirror.

"Wonderful, Karen! Allow me to aid you. Behold, the earth mother Cybele!" Josephine shouted, calling forth her Persona - a powerful female wielding twin swords.

"This is the first time I've ever fought an Ater Vox member! Cool! So bring it on, baby!" Kyle shouted, summoning Hephaestus. "Time to test this out, too!" Kyle said, fastening a strange device to his hand - which quickly generated a radiant laser blade.

"Did you make that yourself, boy? Fantastic! In such an era, even children are capable of creating weapons of such magnitude. Perhaps you'll proove worthy of my attention! Withstand this pain! Mamagnara!" Sharp massive rocks struck the entire team, fiercely hurting Nathan. However, Kyle was unfazed.

"Nathan!" Serena shouted. "Take this! Aques!" A blast of water hit Josephine, but despite taking the hit, she just laughed.

"Yeah, that's right, laugh before we rip you apart! Zionga!" Blaine yelled, striking Josephine with her spell. "Tlaloc, c'mon!" Tlaloc leaped into the air, and sent forth a powerful wave of energy from his hammer, knocking Josephine back.

"Urgh! Karen, why are you just standing there?! You can't expect mercy on the battlefield! Attack, now!" Josephine yelled.

"Yes, Josephine. Tundra Flair!" Aeshma, seductively twirling her mirror and her hair wildly moving as if it were prehensile, struck Amara and Seraphina with a huge cluster of ice crystals.

"Argh!" Amara fell to her knees, in pain. "Why can't I deal with Ice?!"

"Amara, it's okay. Here." Serena said, quickly healing with Diarama. Soon, she started hitting Karen with her whip as many times as she could, the latter being unable to avoid most of the attacks. "Try this! Aques!"

Karen shrieked as she was hit by the roaring waters. Yet, she was not weak to Water spells, simply unused to fighting situations.

"Ugh, Karen these are our enemies! You have to support me in this battle, otherwise they'll bring the world to ash and ruin!" Josephine said. "Enough! Die!" Taking out her pistols, she began firing all around, no one being able to miss her shots.

"No, I'm not letting you do that! Take this!" Kyle, using his special wheelchair, flew over to Josephine and began slashing her with his new weapon. "Alright! Amara, it's time to fight fire with fire!"

"But if we're combining our attacks, then that doesn't really fit-"

"Whatever! Let's just do this!" Kyle said. Hephaestus and Hathor rose into the air, back to back. Raising their weapons, they conjured a terrifying blaze of fire in the shape of a dragon. "Scarlet Dragon!"

"Interesting." Josephine said, after the flames had subsided. The lobby was getting completely wrecked, with no piece of furniture unharmed.

**Everyone! Josephine can't be hurt with Earth magic at all, so Kyle, no Magna spells. But I think Wind will work, so Nathan, use Garula or Air Brake!**

"Everyone, you know what to do. Be blasted by the almighty! Megido!" Seraphina, using Hecate's power, struck Josephine with her trademark spell. Josephine sniggering, and dashed forward, shooting her many times. "No...it hurts..."

"Your body is frail, lowly seer. Perhaps it'd fare better if I gave it some extra holes." Josephine said, Cybele brandishing both her swords. "Succumb to me!" Josephine soon unleashed a fast flurry of bullets, whilst Cybele struck Seraphina many times with violent slashes.

"My dearest apologies..." Seraphina collapsed, unable to take anymore.

"You wretch! After all that you've done, I will not let you survive! Air Brake!" Setanta sent forth blades of air, hitting Josephine with great velocity. The minute she was hurt, her look was of absolute irritation.

"No! Not that pathetic spell again?!" Josephine. "I never thought I'd see again...not after Richard got lucky during that one training session. I will _not_ be afflicted by this spell again! Karen, use that spell I told you about!"

"Yes, Josephine! Dekunda!" Aeshma, twirling her mirror again, cast a strange spell that seemed to remove Josephine's Sukunda affect.

"Marvellous - argh!" Amara rushed at Josephine, and struck her a number of times with her blade.

"You bitch! I won't let you have Karen! Agilao!" Enraged, Amara commanded Hathor's flames to hit Josephine - yet she did not have time to dodge Karen's powerful slash.

"Don't hurt my friend! God has chosen us!" Karen said. "Mudo!"

"Mudo? Wait, isn't that a Dark spell? That's not really a holy thing-" Blaine asked, not noticing the curse spell emerging beneath him. "Oh shit!" It took affect, and he fell over.

"Dropping like flies, you are! Yet you're performing so well." Josephine said, breathing heavily as Blaine shot her several times. "Here we go once more! Blade of Fury!" Cybele darted all over the area, slashing everyone with her blade.

"She just won't stop! Everyone, please don't give up yet. Mediarama!" Serena sent her healing power to everyone, and Kyle, invigorated, looked up at Hephaestus.

"Josephine! You'll never stop us! Behold, the Searing Sequence!" Hephaestus sheathed his sword, and he gathered incredible fire power in his sword-bearing hand.

"What?!" Josephine shouted, but it was too late - Hephaestus swiftly slashed her and Karen many times with his now fiery blade of retribution. By this point, the lobby was completely torn apart, riddled with bullet holes and other damage.

"Well done, Kyle!" Serena said. She then cast Recarm to awaken Blaine and Seraphina. "So, is that it?"

"Josephine, I can't fight much more…" Karen said, kneeling on the ground. Amara tried to walk over, but Josephine shot her multiple times.

"Ow! Urgh, you!" Amara cried.

"Enough. Karen, you fought very well. With training, you will be able to eliminate the sinful ones one day." Josephine said. "You're powerful as well, you insolent children. Yes, your natural Personas are growing so much. Is it hatred of me that fuels them? Or some notion of justice?"

"Shut up! it's because we have to see this through to the end! We're not letting the Eternal Road happen!" Amara said, trying to numb the pain.

"Oh, I understand now. Are you afraid of the unknown? Truth is, I don't know what's going to happen exactly. Yet, it is something we must strive for, no matter what. Face us with that same determination! See how far it gets you! Karen, we leave for now. Nathan, you will be mine someday!" Josephine, moving next to Karen, teleported them both away.

"Damn, I couldn't save her! Karen, I…" Amara said. "I'm no good. I can't help her in _either_ world!"

"Lady Amara, that isn't true. You really are Karen's friend, yes? Not just her peon. Please, don't give in to your self-doubt. It is not too late to save either Karen. Tomorrow…you must talk to her. Convince her to reunite with the one she still loves, even if anger clouds that love!" Seraphina said.

"Okay, 'Lady' Seraphina, thanks for that. Can we go now?" Blaine said.

"Sure. I want to see how Priscilla's doing." Nathan said. He didn't look so well - not just from fighting, but what Josephine said really got to him. Amara didn't know what to say, so she just left with the others in silence.

_Secret Base_

"So you actually fought one of the Ater Vox?!" Aimee shouted. "I can't believe it! It's a miracle you survived!"

"I have a feeling she was testing us." Kyle said. "Karen was fighting at her full strength, however. She's already more capable than either of the Holy Cross, yet she seems unable to think of anything but God."

"We'll save her soon. It's my duty. I couldn't save the other me, but I'll save the other Karen for sure!" Amara said.

"Alright! We need a leader to get our spirits up!" Serena said, smiling. "I'll help too. We won't let her go the same way as the others!" Priscilla ran into her room, sobbing, and Seraphina sighed, sitting down.

"Lady Priscilla is a broken bird. Her wings remain unclipped, yet the heart that once yearned to fly has faltered. Do not fear. We will wait for her to regain her fighting spirit, no matter how long that takes." Seraphina said.

"Please look after her. Well, we'd better be going home. We'll probably be back tomorrow." Nathan said, but his voice lacked his usual confidence. "Father..." Blaine looked at him like he wanted to say something, but kept quiet.

_Poor Nathan. _If Amara's father had cheated, she didn't know what she would do. Her father had never remarried after her mother's death, so she assumed he could never love anyone else as much. Love. Would she love someone that much one day? She did like Zao a lot, but she once felt the same way about Karl. That relationship ended badly, so she knew it didn't always turn out the way she wanted. Still, all she wanted to do now was talk to Zao, so she could forget about tonight's ordeal.

_Farawell_

Amara and Serena left for their homes, leaving Nathan and Blaine standing there. The two men stood there, neither knowing what to say.

"I'll be going now. We should return tomorrow evening. Goodnight." Nathan said, starting to walk away.

"Hold on a sec. What are you going to do about what Josephine said?" Blaine asked.

"Huh? Nothing. It's a lie, just to get me angry!" Nathan said, although there was doubt in his voice.

"So you're just going to ignore it? What if it is true? This is pretty fucking huge, you know." Blaine said, glaring at him.

"What's it got to do with you?!" Nathan shouted.

"I thought we were friends." Blaine said. "You called me when we found what my other self did, remember? You tried to cheer me up. Guess you didn't really mean it."

"Hold on a second! I did, really! I just...I don't know what to do!" Nathan said, distraught. "All my life, I thought my father was the greatest. He loved my mother, always encouraged me. When I went away to university, he kept sending me letters. And coming to visit me! I can't ask if he was unfaithful to my mother!"

"Nathan, I'll tell you something I haven't told anyone except Dan." Blaine said, suddenly serious. My dad died when I was ten. He wanted to support us, so he robbed a bank. Stupid plan, right? He was desperate. Really desperate. So he got put in jail. I never got to visit him. He was too ashamed to see me. He thought he let me down, but, as a kid, I thought he was a hero."

"Blaine..."

"I was hoping when he got out, we'd go back to normal. It never did." Blaine said, looking at the night sky. Nathan thought he saw Blaine's eyes watering, but said nothing. "My dad killed himself the day before he was to be released. I'm not sure, but I think he did it because he couldn't bear to let me see him again."

"That's...Why are you telling me this?"

"Well...it helps to talk about it, kinda. That, and your old man's still alive. So go talk to him! I don't know how, but find it if it's true. Do it while you still can. There's a lot of stuff I can't ask my dad about anymore, so do it." Blaine said, gazing intently into Nathan's eyes.

"Alright, I will. Blaine, I won't forget this. You're a top bloke!"

"'Bloke'? Come on, we're not in England!" Blaine said, laughing.

"Well, not yet. Perhaps when this is all over, you and me can go over there and have some fun. I know a lot of good pubs over there!" Nathan said, managing a smile.

"Sounds good to me! I gotta go. See you next time!" Blaine said, walking off. Nathan started heading back, weary from all the fighting. Somehow, he'd need to have a reason to accuse his father of having an affair. He needed to research Josephine Johnson, somehow. Perhaps if he searched her name, he could find out if she'd had any involvement with his father.

Nathan was scared, but he knew he had to do it. If he did nothing, he'd never know the truth. He could not rely on Josephine's words alone. He needed to hear it from the man he looked up to. The man who was the best leader of the Albion Corporation in the history of it's existence, who one day would pass on that role to Nathan. Yet, despite his fears, he knew now he wasn't alone. Blaine, despite being rather unrefined and unkempt, truly meant well. To think Blaine would confide such a personal story with him…he couldn't let him down.


	30. Chapter 30: Out of The Blue

**Chapter 30: Out of The Blue**

_Real People Offices_

"Good morning, Amara!" Karen said, as she entered the workplace. "Girls, I'm so sorry about Friday night. I don't really remember what happened, other than Amara and someone trying to get me home."

"Karen, it's alright. You sure you're okay now?" Amara asked.

"Yes, I'll be fine. I'll be more careful next time. At least you girls were there, or I might already be planning wedding number five!" Karen said, shuddering.

"Just who was that guy who helped her, anyway?" Lucy asked as Karen returned to her office.

"Well, that's quite a story..." Amara said, then she revealed what she knew about him - Roger Martin. Owner of the Solar Ray Mall, and her first love.

"Whoa! So Mr Martin's her ex, huh?" Lucy said, stunned. "Amazing! I have to get an interview with him now!"

"Lucy, it's not that simple. Karen doesn't know that the man that left the city fourteen years ago returned! She might not want to deal with him again!" Stella said, angry.

"Um, Lucy, how was your date with that Blaine guy?" Colette asked.

"Don't change the subject! Um, well..." Lucy blushed. "It was nice. He wasn't too flirty, although he took me for a ride on his motorcycle, which was kind of scary. It was fun, though. In fact, he just asked me if we can meet for lunch! I'm going to see him again!"

"Love's young dream!" Stella said, with a small chuckle. Lucy blushed even more, whilst the girls started laughing. Just then, Karen left her office holding up a letter.

"Where did this letter come from?" Karen asked, looking bemused.

"I don't know, it was delivered with all the others today. Why?" Juan said.

"It's not got a name or return address. It simply says 'Meet me in Aurelia Park at 6:30pm'." Karen said, looking at the letter again. "Any of you know what this is about?"

"Um, no!" Lucy said, shaking her head. "Sounds like someone's got a secret admirer!"

"Hardly. There's no bouquet of flowers, or chocolates, or a doodle of a love heart." Sheila said, shrugging.

"Who are you again?" Juan asked.

"The freaking relationship columnist, you moron! _God_!" Sheila shouted.

"Enough, Sheila! Aurelia Park is so romantic, though. It must be someone with his eye on you!" Amara said, with Sheila shaking her head and Lucy biting her lip.

"Indeed. Well, I didn't have anything else to do tonight, so I'll see what this is all about. If it's a prank, might as well get it over with." Karen said, going into her office again.

"This is exciting! Do you think Roger sent that letter? Ooh, maybe he wants to get back together with her! That is so sweet!" Colette said, giddy with excitement.

"I wish I had a girl to take to Aurelia Park." Juan said. "Then again, there _are_ a lot of fine women here. Colette, how about you?"

"No way, creep!" Colette said, annoyed.

"Okay then. How about you, Sheila?"

"You just forgot who I was. Piss off." Sheila said, focusing on her computer without even looking at him. Amara couldn't help but wonder about Zao - she was meeting him at the harbour after work. Just thinking about him made her heart soar.

"Why do Fools fall in love?" Stella said.

"Huh?" Amara asked, utterly confused.

"I'm just musing to myself. Pay me no heed." Stella said, diverting her attention to her computer. Amara shrugged, and began sharpening her pencils.

_Legarte, Coffee Cabin_

"Hey sexy!" Blaine said, as Lucy ran up to him.

"Knock it off!" Lucy said. "How's your day been?"

"Well, other than some morons complaining about how spicy the spiced pork is, the same as ever. Seeing you brightened up my day!" Blaine said, and he gave her a wink.

"Oh, come on!" Lucy said, but she couldn't help but smile. "I really enjoyed Saturday, you know. I didn't think I'd like spending time with the middle-aged!"

"Easy, girl! I've got at least fifteen more years before I'm that old. How's your day been?" Blaine asked.

"Oh, not so bad. Karen got some letter from a guy asking her to come to the park after work, so we're all talking about who sent it to her. Most of us think it's that Roger guy!" Lucy said. "Roger Martin, the guy who runs the mall!"

"Oh, him. He's kinda cool. I've had a drink with him a couple of times." Blaine said, shrugging.

"Well, I hope it works out! I wanted to write an article about the mall, and if I can get an interview with him, that would be really amazing! Maybe you could pull some strings?" Lucy asked.

"Well, alright. Damn, you know I can't say no to a cute girl!" Blaine said, and the two of them laughed. The two of them stayed there for a while, enjoying the coffee. The whole time, Blaine kept looking at Lucy, smiling at her, whilst they talked about silly things, like the glamour model TV show that was on last night or what 'protein fractionation' meant.

"Damn, I need to get back! I'll pay for this-"

"No, let me. You go and have fun! Say hi to Amara for me!" Blaine said.

"I will! Bye!" Lucy said, quickly giving Blaine a kiss before darting off. If only he had the time to see her tonight. but they had to go to the other world. Fighting Shadows could be a pain in the ass, but it had to be done.

_Aurelia Park, 6:30 pm_

"Such a nice place. If only they'd said where to meet _in_ the park." Karen said, as she arrived at the park.

As she looked around, she saw many happy couples walk by. One of which was a fair skinned lady and her Japanese boyfriend, looking absolutely delighted in each other's company. Having though about it, Karen had never had a moment like that with any of her husbands. Each one of them was one huge mistake, and until now, she just hadn't learned her lesson. She sat on one of the white benches, and looked around. No sign of this admirer anywhere. Could it have been a friend, joking around? Or a crazed stalker?

She had become very tired of waiting. So to pass the time, she got out her mobile phone, and attempted to play a few new games. Alas, they did little to ease the tension. All she could think about was the mystery man. She saw another happy couple exploring the park, and sighed. The woman had arm around her partner's waist, and looked so relaxed in his company. Her partner was all smiles himself, and gave her a long, loving kiss.

_Why couldn't that be me?_, she thought. Not one of her husbands had ever been that way with her. Only _he_ managed to make her feel special. If he had never left, what would have happened? Those couples were so in love, but the one man she wanted was gone. Whoever it was that wanted to meet her could never be like him.

"Karen?" Someone said behind her.

That voice...Karen hadn't heard that voice in fourteen years, but she recognised it right away. She jumped up, turned around, and gasped - the man behind her had grown older, but she still knew it was him. His hair was cut shorter, he was a little thicker around the middle, but there was no mistaking those yellow, sensitive eyes. It was the face she fell in love with all those years ago. Roger Martin himself was in front of her, after all this time.

"R-Roger?!" Karen screamed - and everyone stared at her. Yet, Karen didn't care about anything else but the man in front of her. "How - how did you -"

"I saw you on Friday night, at that club you were at with your employees. I was there, by myself. I'm the one that paid for that cab, actually." Roger said, with a serious look.

"No...you saw me?!" Karen, mortified, started shaking. "I'm so sorry! You were never meant to see that! You were supposed to be overseas, making something of yourself! Not watching me act like a total slut!"

"Don't apologise for that. I did go away, but I came back ten years ago. You'd moved house, and I couldn't find you anymore. I assumed you were gone for good." Roger said. "I didn't think you were still here, after so long..."

"I thought you were gone too! Ten years ago, I was...getting married!" Karen shouted. Roger, stunned, looked away. "What's with that face? Don't look so surprised. I was all alone, thanks to you! I still couldn't forget what Victor did to me!" Her voice trembled as she mentioned his name.

"So what was I supposed to do? Hold your hand? Put my life on hold until you got better? I loved you, Karen. But I couldn't give up on my goals." Roger said. "A lot has happened since then. I'm the one who took over the mall, and made it what it is today. I couldn't have done that if I hadn't gone."

"You're the owner of Solar Ray Mall?! I've been in there tons of times since it opened! I've never seen you!" Karen said.

"It's busy work. There's so much to organise, so many people under my supervision...it's far harder than that job in the bookstore I had. Looks like you've done well, too. You always said if you ever were an employer, you'd treat them like family. Looks like you did." Roger said, with a faint smile.

"So what if I did?! It's nothing to do with you anymore! Ken, Russell, Dean and Graham, neither of them were enough. Look at me. I'm not good enough for you anymore!" Karen said, sobbing. "You managed it! You became a huge success, just like you always wanted. Look at the Mall! It's thriving, all because of you! But what have I done? Nothing! Just a bunch of small-time papers! You were right to have left me..."

"Karen, please don't say it like that. It's true that I've done well since I came back. But it's lonely - more than you could imagine. Sure, it pays rather well, and I just bought a huge manor in Nova Albion. But I don't have the time to enjoy it. I hardly have chances to go out to meet people. That's why I'm glad I found you again. I don't want to let you go...please. We can start over, just the two of us." Roger said.

"No we can't. Roger, you were right all along all those years ago. You told me you couldn't let me control your life." Karen said, calmer now. "I need to be stronger on my own. Friday night taught me that. Roger, this is goodbye." She started to leave, but Roger ran in front of her. "Roger, stop."

"Please, don't go just yet. I know I hurt you a long time ago, and I'm sorry! Here…" Roger shoved one of his business cards into her hand, and now he looked more desperate than ever. "Take it. I missed you. You might not believe it, but I really did! I can't go another fourteen years without you!"

"Let me go. I missed you too, but this is for the best. You'll find someone better than me." Karen said, slowly walking away.

Roger, crestfallen, watched as she left, wiping away her tears. Looking at the couple near him, he felt intense jealousy. Bianca Summers, the girl who owned a flower store at his mall, was with her boyfriend - Kazoo, or something. They way they looked into each other's eyes made his blood boil. Fourteen years ago, he had that with Karen. Now, he had nothing. No amount of success could replace that.

Walking to his car, he tried hoping she'd call him, but she had probably thrown the card away by now. With a large and empty home to go to, he despondently drove off, desperate to get away from the park.

_Legarte Harbour_

"Howdy!" Zao said, running over to Amara. Before she could say anything, he gave her a big kiss. "I've been waiting all day for that!"

"Me too!" Amara said, smiling. "Hey, I have to meet some people tonight, but can we go see a movie?"

"Actually, I probably should have said this sooner, but a friend of mine's coming here. Don't worry, he won't be here long! It's just been ages since I saw him, so -"

"It's okay! As long as we get to do something later." Amara said, tweaking Zao's nose. It always surprised him, which made her laugh. "Who is this guy, anyway?"

"Well, it's this guy I used to know way back in elementary school. You've probably never met him. He's actually kind of famous!" Zao said.

"Really, Zao? You know celebrities?" Amara asked.

"Well, he hasn't got thousands of Twitter followers or anything, but he's a pro soccer star now." Zao said. "In fact, he was in the newspaper today!"

"He was?" Amara asked, surprised. "I didn't read the sport section today. We don't really cover sport at Real People."

"Oh, well...you can't really see him in the picture they took, but he was awesome in his first professional game!" Zao said.

"Ah. So who is this soccer star you happen to know?" Amara asked.

"Karl Davenport!" Zao said, smiling.

"Karl...Davenport?!" Amara couldn't believe what Zao just said. His smile dropped, as he saw how shocked Amara was. Zao was acquintances with the man she used to love...could this really be happening?

"Yeah. What's wrong?" Zao asked.

"Zao, you should have told me about this! It's not your fault, you lovable dummy, but -"

"But what? Have you met him before?" Zao asked.

"Yes, of course I have! He was my -"

"Zao!" a familiar voice said, running up behind Zao. The gelled spiky ginger hair, the soft brown eyes and the athletic build were all too familiar. It was indeed Karl Davenport, a talented soccer star and Amara's old flame. _No...why now?_

"Karl! You got tall, man!" Zao said, grinning. "I should have known you made the team! Next time, I'm going to watch from the front row!"

"You better! You'll see a master at work! Now - Amara?!" Karl couldn't believe his eyes. "You...and Zao?!"

"Y-yes." Amara said, looking away.

"Whoa! You two know each other?" Zao asked. "You didn't go to the same elementary school, did you? That would be so awesome!"

"No, Zao. Amara and I used to go out. You know, like you and her right now." Karl said.

"Seriously?! That is _awesome_!" Zao said, happy as ever. "I was worried about bumping into any of Amara's exes, but this is so cool! Amara, the cutest artist in the city, and Karl, the greatest soccer player ever! Woohoo!"

"Zao, it's not..." Amara sighed. Didn't he notice how uncomfortable she was? Why did he have to act like such a little kid? "Look. We had a bad break-up."

"I should probably go..." Karl said solemnly.

"What? We haven't seen each other since we kids, and you're bailing on me?" Zao said, annoyed.

"You can see how awkward this is, can't you?" Karl said.

"Well, I..." Zao trailed off. He looked so disappointed, and Amara felt sorry for him. Seeing Karl, however, brought back a lot of negative feelings. His constant over-protectiveness was what ruined the relationship, and she had never quite gotten over it.

"I'll talk to you later, Zao." Karl said, forcing a smile. "You have my number, right? See ya." Karl left, and Zao looked to Amara.

"What...happened between you two?" Zao said, worried.

"Zao, I didn't want to talk about this, but...when we were going out, Karl was really clingy. He'd get worried if I was late calling him, he couldn't find me, and just wouldn't give me any breathing space. That's why I finished it with him! He was nice, but I didn't want to see him again. We haven't seen each other since I told him it was over."

"Oh." Zao said, for the first time looking glum. "I'm sorry about that. Karl never used to be that way. When we were kids, we used to play all the time, without a care in the world. Me, him and his sister Aimee. Then I had to change schools, so I never saw him after that."

"Aimee? I didn't know he had a sister!" Amara said. _It couldn't be the Aimee we know in the other world...could it?_

"Well, he probably didn't want to talk about it. Ten years ago, in some huge explosion, Aimee got killed. It's a shame...she was a sweet girl. She was a lot younger than us, but we always let her join in. Those were good days. I wish I could have seen her again." Zao said, staring at the sky.

"Wait. You think the reason he acted that way is because of his sister?" Amara asked.

"I dunno. I'm a fisherman, not a psychologist!" Zao said, shrugging and smiling. Looking at Amara's serious face, he stopped. "I wouldn't get upset about it. He's a great guy. With me around, he'll be just fine!"

"I'll leave it to you, then! Perhaps the three of us could hang out sometime." Amara said, trying to hide her sadness. "Might be awkward with just us three, though."

"Well, then the answer is obvious! We get a girl for Karl, then we can go with that multiple group date idea! Huh?" Zao said. Now, he was back to his usual self - not a care in the world.

"Sure, why not! Zao, don't ever change." Amara then gave Zao a huge hug, and for the first time, she didn't want to let go.

"Change what? My great sense of fashion, or my hair? If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" Zao said - giving Amara one of his winks. "Anyway, let me tell what I caught today!"

_Albion Corporation, Nathan's Office_

It was past closing time, but Nathan had something to do. He hadn't had a chance, due to today's schedule, but he felt pretty good. He'd handled himself pretty well in some tough meetings, and even managed to convince a client of a project's success single-handedly. Her father looked at him with pride that day, so he felt guilty about doing this now. He had to find out - who was Josephine Johnson?

Typing her name in, he searched through the entire Aeternus Employee Database. Luckily, he had the second-highest authority in the corporation, directly beneath his father. Therefore, he could easily search through the high security files with no indication he had done so. "Let's see here..."

It took a while, but he finally located it. Many years ago, from 1994-2000, an employee named Josephine Johnson worked for the company in the Marketing department. There was an image of her, and she looked older than the Josephine he recalled seeing. So, Josephine used her powers to stop her body from aging...this misuse of such power disgusted Nathan to his very core. The more he looked at her picture, the more he thought - it wasn't the same Josephine. There was no hint of malice, or an inflated ego. Vanity would seem foreign to her. She just looked like a mature woman. Nothing about her suggest megalomania, or arrogance.

"Josephine Johnson, who did you use to be?" Nathan asked. Only one person probably could tell him - his father. Yet, he had no evidence of an affair yet. What should he do next? Nathan had to think carefully.

Carefully logging off and locking his office, he left the building and headed for the nearest flower shop. He never did feel comfortable about telling Priscilla to go on ahead without him.

_Secret Base_

The gang had arrived at last, after Serena arrived fifteen minutes late due to having to pick up groceries. This time, Aimee and Seraphina were in the Secret Base, with no one else in sight.

"Greetings, ladies and gentlemen. Sir Dan is at The Mole once again - but he was training before, so he deserves the rest period. For once." Seraphina said, nibbling on some smoked salmon.

"Priscilla's in her room, again. It's worse than when Kyle had his breakdown! I can't get her to talk at all. Maybe I just don't understand adults." Aimee said. "Amara, why are you looking at me like that?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just pumped to beat up some Shadows tonight!" Amara said. _So you're Karl's little sister. In this world, Karl is..._

"Where's Kyle, then?" Serena asked. "I brought him some pretzels, the really salty kind!"

"Oh, he's taking a nap in his room. However, Seraphina sensed something strange. There were a lot of people entering the Farawell Shadow Development Centre." Aimee said.

"Really? What's going on there?" Nathan asked.

"I do not know, all I could pick up was a lot of Ornatu Legion resonances. This troubles me…it never rains, but it pours. Perhaps it's related to Karen." Seraphina said.

"No way! They're building her base in that weird hotel! Where _was_ that, anyway?" Serena asked.

"In Saragel. This is different - wait! The situation changed! Someone just appeared in a room with an NDD!" Seraphina shouted.

"What?" Blaine said. "Who is it?"

"I feel something. An incredible resonance, like a Persona! You have to go find them!" Seraphina said. "Use the code, quickly! We'll stay here, and come if you end up in trouble!"

"Got it! Then we're off!" Amara said, and the four of them went through to the first NDD they'd ever travelled through.

_FSDC_

No one was in the room, but there were signs someone had been there. A table had been knocked over, and one of the light fixtures was broken.

"No one in here. Let's hurry and go!" Nathan said, and the four of them ran outside. They could make out someone heading towards the south end of the hallway - the opposite of the way Amara went. Strangely, a lot of the rooms with red symbols had changed to blue ones. Clearly, something was different about this place.

_Database Server Room_

"Whoa!" Amara screamed. A powerful Shadow was in front of them, in the form of a shadowy, emaciated man hung from the gallows, His face was covered by a mask resembling an upside down face.

"Okay, this is one of the coolest Shadows yet!" Serena said. _That's her idea of cool? Weird... _"Wait a second - look!"

Behind one of the servers was a young man, cowering. "Please don't kill me, please don't kill me, please don't kill me!"

"Who's that - Zao!?" Amara didn't want it to be him, but there was no mistaking that blue hair, or the silver jacket he was wearing earlier that day. "Why are _you_ here?!"

"Amara?!" Zao stood up, his face white with terror. "What the hell are those things?!"

"How did he get in here? Amara, did you tell him about this world?!" Nathan shouted.

"No! I had no idea he was coming! I -"

"Enough babbling. It's time to save this guy!" Blaine said. "Zio-"

"Holy crap, my head! ...Philemon?! Huh?" Zao said, very disoriented. The Shadow, disturbed, menacingly moved towards Zao, and was about to send a wave of fire at him, but a blue aura burst from Zao's body, sending the Shadow to the ground.

"What's this?! Per...so...na?!" _No! This can't be happening! Not Zao!_

Sure enough, something burst out of this body, striking the Shadow with supreme energy. Floating over Zao's body was a male figure, clad in a white naval uniform with blue lining and cuffs, bright angel wings, white boots, and a sword in his hand. Most of his head was obscured by a golden metal helmet, which was almost bird-like, with white feathers coming out at the back. Yet, he had blue hair beneath the helmet.

"Oh my god...what _is_ that thing?!" Zao screamed. Startled by the being of power in front of him, he fell over, jaw agape.

**I am thou. Thou art I. I cometh from the sea of thy heart. I am Rashnu, one who shall take the souls of the dead and determine their worth!**


	31. Chapter 31: Freedom of Chaos

**Chapter 31: Freedom or Terror?**

"No - No freaking way!" Amara shouted. Zao had a Persona, just like her. The power she had been desperate to hide from him...was now his. It was just like when she activated her own power - at death's door, the supreme power of his Persona awakened. So his was called Rashnu - it actually resembled him slightly.

"Zao, calm down! Leave that Shadow to us!" Serena said.

"Hehe..." Zao said, standing up. Despite being in grave danger a moment ago, he now had some spark burning away in him. "Sorry, lady! I'm not letting you guys have all the fun! Amara, to think you were hiding this all along! Now it's my time to shine!" Zao said. "Rashnu, use your special ultra attack, or whatever the heck you've got! Go go GO!" Rashnu, sword in hand, impaled the Shadow, causing some damage.

"This seems like a rather mediocre Shadow." Nathan said. "So this won't take long! Garula!" Setanta's winds hit the Hanged Man Shadow, causing it to yell bizarre chants.

"Whoa! What the heck is that thing saying?" Zao asked, confused.

"Must be the Shadow speak for 'motherfucker'." Blaine said, with a sinister smile. "You already had enough? We're just getting started, buddy boy!" Tlaloc pounded the Shadow repeatedly, finishing with one powerful swing that sent it crashing into a monitor, breaking it.

"Wait for ME, guys! I can do magic spells as well, am I right? Come on then - Super Magic Fireball Blast, or something!" Zao was astonished at what happened next - an Agi spell hit the Shadow, sending it to the floor.

"Okay Zao, you're doing fine!" Amara said, and she gave Zao a thumbs up. "I'll finish this one! Agilao!" Hathor's fire attack was much stronger, and it burnt the Shadow to ashes. "Phew."

"Woohoo!" Zao said, hugging Amara, whilst jumping up and down. His sheer excitement was making her dizzy already. "You were so badass, you know? Like, you chanted a magic word like "Agheelayoh" and fires came out!"

"Zao, this is not a joke. How did you get in here, anyway?" Nathan asked.

"I was going to surprise Amara by showing up at her place, but then I saw her meeting the others in front of that old warehouse. I didn't hear what you were saying, but you went inside, and I was wondering what happened." Zao said.

"So you followed us instead of waiting?" Serena said. "Men are so impatient!"

"_Hey_!" Nathan and Blaine said, pretending to be hurt.

"Oh _crap_! I forgot to lock the door!" Amara said. "I didn't think it'd matter. No one goes in there except us."

"Amara! If you keep doing that, you could unleash huge demons into the world! It'll take more than an all-nighter online to beat them!" Serena shouted.

"Well, anyway, I couldn't see you inside that weird building. Just a bunch of broken computers and...a weird glowing door thingy. So I went through, and I felt really weird. Like something was trying to break free from my body!" Zao said. "But after using Rashnu, I feel great!"

"Yeah, I felt that way when Artemis appeared. Looks like you're stuck with us, Mr Yuria!" Serena said. "Zao joined the party, right?"

"Of course! This calls for a party! So what _is_ this world all about, anyway?" Zao asked, scratching his head.

"Well, that'll take quite a lot of explaining to do. But we'll tell you the full story." Nathan said. "I just hope you'll listen to what we have to say - it's not rocket science, but it's a little convoluted."

"Come with us, man. As of now, you're our student, and we're the masters!" Blaine said, patting Zao on the head. "Do well, and I'll buy you a beer!"

"What _is _it with you and alcohol?" Serena asked.

"It's a man thing." Blaine said. "We buy drinks for our friends. So welcome aboard, Zao."

Zao smiled, and the team left the room.

_Corridor_

Amara and the others had spent over half an hour describing their quest to fight Shadows ever since Amara first stepped into the other world. Having to talk about the past was painful, especially the incident at the cathedral. Zao seemed to be taking it in his stride, but the knowledge that the Other Amara was dead seemed to hurt him too.

"No way!" Zao said. "This world can't be real. There's no way such a horrible place could exist!"

"Zao, I'm sorry. I didn't want you to know about this, because if you did, it'd make you worry!" Amara said. "It'd have been better if you never found out, trust me."

"I thought it was just me who hid things." Zao said.

"What do you mean by that?" Amara asked.

"Oh, uh...nothing!" Zao said, smiling again. "Hey, I get why you didn't tell me. You can't tell Priscilla, right Nathaniel?"

"It's just Nathan-"

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Serena can't tell her parents, because apparently they suck. Also, Lucy would get worried if she knew what her beloved Blaine was up to!" Zao said, after a moment of thought.

"Please, I didn't even tell my parents how the TV really got broken." Serena said.

"...I'd better not let you near mine." Nathan said.

"Looks like the kid understands. Now that he's got a Persona, he can't really turn back, can he?" Blaine said.

"Yeah, I guess not. I'm a latecomer, but I'm still part of the team! Amara, do you mind? If we're both fighting, we should fight together!" Zao said. "It'll be great!"

"Yes, I suppose so! Zao, listen to us carefully, okay? If you don't take it seriously, you could get in trouble!" Amara said, sternly.

"Gotcha. So, what's going on in this place?" Zao asked. "Some evil overlord and his apprentice plotting sinister schemes?"

"If one of the Ater Vox is here, that might not be so far from the truth." Nathan said. "Let's investigate. The Ornatu Legion could be here -"

Right that second, around ten Ornatu Legion members ran up.

"Right on cue..." Serena said. "It must be magic."

"Either that, or a security system that functions. Unlike the one in our company's basement." Nathan said, shaking his head.

"Intruders, name yourselves!" One of them said. A young man with spiky silver hair. Next to him was a blonde woman with pigtails and brown eyes.

"Oh god, not her!" Amara said. "That's Colette Harrison!"

"Wait a second. I know one of those people! That's Joe! Joe Kowalski!" Nathan said.

"Sorry, I don't recognise any these losers..." Blaine said, shrugging.

"Wow! I'm popular!" Colette said, with a cheerful look.

"Sounds like I am to. But under no circumstances are we allowed to let you escape! So here it comes! Tam Lin!" Joe shouted, summoning a knight with long white hair and green armour.

"I'll show you how true style fights! Dis!" Colette yelled, and she summoned a strange female with no hair, with dark blue skin and a black dress.

"Ha, this will be easy! My first real battle! Let's make it one to remember!" Zao yelled. "When you're crying in your hospital beds tonight, remember the name of the guy who put you there! Zao Yuria!"

And so, the battle began. As usual, the Ornatu Legion was almost powerless to stop them. Only Colette and Joe were still standing, clearly the leaders of the squadron. "Goddammit! What now?" Joe shouted. "Archibald will go crazy if we can't win!"

"How do you guys know us, anyway?" Colette asked. "Nice outfit, miss!"

"Thanks! Better than that stupid uniform!" Amara yelled.

"I know right! It's so ugly! Why can't I have something in pink?!" Colette whined. "If only Josephine let me join the guys going to Karen's place! Then I could have had one of their pretty uniforms!"

"Enough chatting! Try this! How about an icicle?" Zao yelled - and to his surprise, Rashnu actually pulled off a Bufu spell, finishing Colette off.

"Work is going to be so awkward tomorrow." Amara said, scratching her head. "Now it's your turn!"

"H-huh?!" Joe cowered, backing away. "No! I need that promotion!"

"You're not getting one no matter who you work for. Try turning up on time!" Nathan shouted, and whacked him silly with his staff, knocking him out.

"Wow. Let me guess. Colette works on the same magazine as Amara, and Joe works for Nathan's company?" Serena asked. "I'm sorry, that must have been painful!"

"Well, not really. Colette goes on and on about her clothes, my clothes, the Pope's clothes so much that sometimes I just want to smack her. And now I did!" Amara said, grinning.

"Joe is such a slacker. It's no wonder he's been passed over for every promotion. Every time, he'll be on the phone to his girlfriend whining about how no one believes in him. Idiot. He'll be fired if he doesn't try harder…" Nathan said, shaking his head.

"Well, now that we're done with that, can we get going? I want to see the rest of this place!" Zao said, grinning. "I hope they have vending machines!"

"Are you stupid? There aren't gonna be - oh, there's one. Damn, I hate being wrong." Blaine said, pointing to one across the hall. "Why do these ones have the Jack Frost logo on them?"

"Who cares! I need my Cielo Mist!" Zao said, running over and taking money out of his wallet. "We could use the energy, you know. I'll get some for everyone!"

"My Zao, ladies and gentlemen!" Amara said, chuckling.

_Gym Area_

After looking around on the ground floor, the time found a room that had been locked the last time Amara was there. It was to the right of the room Nathan and her found Serena, being attacked by that nightmarish clown Shadow. This room was a giant gymnasium, with lines on the floor for basketball or whatever other sports could be played.

"Alright! We can shoot some b-ball!" Zao shouted, looking around. "Oh, there's no hoops. Bummer!"

"Wait. Something's wrong." Amara yelled. "I feel something."

"I don't smell anything." Serena said.

"No, not that! Someone's here - argh!" The door slammed shut behind them. Nathan tried to pull it open, but it wouldn't budge. "It's locked...what's going on?"

"Hello, everyone. It's nice you could attend our evening class." a man's voice said. _That sounds familiar..._

"Who said that?" Serena asked.

"Dunno, but he better get out here before I mop the floor with him!" Zao said. Perhaps this was a show of false confidence, but his attitude was helping her stay calm.

Just then, on a monitor that would usually display points for teams, an image of a man appeared. A man in his fifties, with hair that was completely white, and blue eyes. His face was wrinkled, and he had a pair of red glasses.

"Welcome. My name is Archibald Ebert. If we were friends, you might wish to call me Archie. Alas, we are enemies, so you may give me whichever moniker you desire. Ah..." he said, staring at Serena. "You must be Nina's little sister. Nice to see good looks run in the family..." Archibald said, smirking.

"_Eew_! Fat chance, grandpa!" Serena screamed. "Amara, save me!" she yelled, hiding behind Amara.

"...Don't do that again." Amara said, annoyed.

"I'm joking! Although it was worth it for that reaction. Honestly, I'm not keeping you all here for _that_. I have a reputation to uphold. Rather, I detected your presence here quite some time ago. Since you weren't making any attempt to hide your entry, it was a matter of time." Archibald said. "Until today, this was a facility for creating Shadows. Yet, the ones in our headquarters are far superior. Thus, we haven't had much use for this place. Before then, Aeternus used it as an extra warehouse."

"So what's changed today? You turning it into a bowling alley?" Blaine said, glaring at Archibald. "Can't say I like the contractor..."

"You're as unpleasant over there as you were over here, I see. Shame...you weren't always so bitter. The power of a Persona is to be embraced, not to be detested." Archibald said. "Unlike Josephine, I didn't feel the need to announce my Persona user to the public. From now on, he will train here, ready to help us build the Eternal Road!"

"What?!" Amara shouted. "Is he another Last Soldier?"

"Correct. It's not the most imaginative name, is it? Alas, Josephine created that title. I'm not especially fond of it, but it seems to give the citizens of our city a sense of hope. Of course, I have every faith mine will surpass hers. The public may not know him, but you will hold the esteemed honour of making his acquintance. He's been dying for a real fight, and those Ornatu Legion members fall like insects when he is up against them. I do need to keep some of them alive - test subjects don't grow on trees. Thus, only you lot will help prove his strength. Come out, Roger!" Archibald said.

"Roger?" Serena asked. "It's not going to be _that _Roger, is it?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Amara asked.

Sure enough, a familiar man emerged from the door at the front end. Roger Martin himself had entered, and apart from looking slimmer, he wasn't too different from his other self. Instead of his posh business suits, he had an intimidating hard red jacket with a black collar, and black bracers. He had rather shiny red shoes, and tan leather pants with various belts on the legs.

"So, these are the idiots you were talking about?" Roger said, looking at the screen. Unlike the time Amara saw him at the weekend, he had an arrogant air to him. "This alternate reality crap's real?"

"Yes, Roger. The potential of Shadows is exponentially greater than I once believed It can connect two dimensions!" Archibald said, with a crazed look in his eyes. "It would seems these people are familiar with you in their dimension, as well!"

"Oh, really? So what do I do in this boring world without Shadows?" Roger asked.

"_Boring_?! You bastard! Fighting monsters is not as fun as it looks! It is NOT something we do to pass the time!" Serena shouted.

"Uh, well, Roger Martin is the man who took that mall in Legarte and turned it into a roaring success. There's not much else to say, really." Blaine said, shrugging.

"What a joke! That's it? When I left this city for college, I had a plan. I'd be able to make my hometown a better place, one that they'd actually put in those tourist guides. Four years later, the Shadows come, and there's no getting out of the fucking city!" Roger said. "Kanaloa's destroyed now. But it wasn't worth saving, right Archie?"

"Haha! That is absolutely correct. All of those people were inconsequential compared to you. Throw them money, build them better homes, and they'll just waste their newfound fortune on their vices! To truly make a better Kanaloa, one must rebuild it from the ground up. Only the power of Shadows can accomplish that." Archibald said.

"You piece of _shit_!" Blaine said, hand on his gun. Amara was afraid he'd lash out, but he stood there, quiet. His hand was shaking with rage, however.

"He's right, you dumbass! Everyone's so afraid of the Shadows, but they're too scared to make use of them! The technology Archie produced is freaking amazing, right? With that kind of power, we could rebuild Kanaloa in our sleep! And only those strong enough to use the Shadows can live there!" Roger said, with a twisted smile.

"What?!" Amara yelled. "No, you're wrong! Aeternus are the ones creating the Shadows!"

"I already know that, you stupid girl! It's the city that's to blame. They run and hide, instead of trying to fight! Only those with Personas deserve to live in this world. If only you were on our side, then we could complete that Eternal Road thing so much faster!" Roger said.

"Don't you know? The first part of that destroyed Kanaloa! Not just a cathedral, but the entire area! If you keep this up, everyone could die!" Nathan said.

"I don't care about the stupid people of this city! When I was young, all they did was boss me around. Weak people in power are so stupid. They're too dumb to know how to use that power. I'm not like them. The Eternal Road will change the world, and I won't let you stop me!" Roger hollered, and he took out two punching daggers.

"Easy, dude! Can't we just sit and talk over a glass of Chianti?" Zao asked, somehow still smiling. Roger simply gave him a death glare, unamused.

"Roger, I do not wish for you to kill everyone here. This is just to test your skills. However, feel free to eliminate that blue haired joker." Archibald said, smirking.

"Gladly! C'mon, show me your Personas! The power you've been wasting on trying to save the weak cowards that infest this city!" Roger yelled. "Come forth, **Kanaloa**!"

_Wait, what?! _His Persona emerged from blue smoke like everyone else, and it was a blue skinned male, with strange hair that resembled ocean waves with tentacles near the bottom. He wore golden gauntlets, boots and a belt with various blue feathers adorning them, and he wielded a powerful icy blue trident. Several blue jewels were attached to his body, and his right eye was orange, with a scar going over it.

"Pretty cool, right? My Persona's Kanaloa itself! I'm the only one there that deserves to make a new place, and if you insist on fighting us, you're not welcome there!" Roger shouted. "Hey Archie. You really want me to fight five people at once? That's retarded! Help me out a little!"

"Oh, of course. Allow me to give you some support. **Thor**!" To the side of Kanaloa, a robotic Persona emerged. Equipped with golden and red robotic gauntlets and boots, he had a strange canon device attached to his left hand, and a strange cape-like adornment that looked like multiple large swords. Thor's eyes were glowing blue lights, and he had a jewelled headband.

"Seriously? His idea of Thor is a freaking robot?" Serena asked. "Where's his hammer?"

"Oh, little Serena, you think a hammer is the only way to bring mass destruction? This canon shall be the hammer of judgment you crave! Unlike Josephine, I'm not foolish enough to enter the combat zone. Let's begin, shall we?" Archibald said, smirking.

"Alright, Archie! Let's do this!" Roger yelled. "Wave Rage!" Several waves of water struck the team, knocking Blaine to the floor. "Ha!"

"Laugh while you can! Agilao!" Amara yelled, hitting him with Hathor's flames. "Zao, stay back!"

"Hell no! Lightning, or something!" Zao yelled, and a small Zio spell struck Roger, doing a fair bit of damage.

"Ugh! You little freak! No one does that to me! Impaling Havoc!" Kanaloa leaped towards Zao, and struck him with his trident multiple times.

"Oww! You're tough. I may not be much good, but the others can beat you any day!" Zao said, smug.

"Good work, Zao. Try this! Zionga - huh?!" Blaine tried to use Zionga, but a strange barrier covered Roger before it could hit. "The hell?"

"Ha! Archie's not letting that happen again! It's your bad luck the shit Persona user got the first shot!" Roger taunted. "Malaques!" Another water attack hit the team, again causing Blaine the most pain.

"Looks like water magic won't work on this guy. Diarama!" Serena said, healing Blaine. "Anything you try, I can just heal up like that!"

"Is that so, madam? Even _this_?" Archibald said, and Thor fired a fierce ray of lightning from his canon. Serena's screams of pain echoed throughout the hall, as did Archibald's howl of laughter.

"Serena!" Nathan yelled. "This isn't good!"

"Tell me about it. No one knows that weird barrier technique!" Amara said.

"Hehe..." Blaine said, with a mischievous smile.

"No! Not you too!" Roger said, in horror.

"Elec Wall!" Tlaloc used his power to provide Serena with a strong electric barrier, shielding her from further injury by Thor.

"Thanks." Serena said, standing up. "Go to hell!" With indignation, she continuously swung her whip at Roger, but he managed to counter with his weird weapons - katars, apparently.

"Lucky for me, my talents are more than just electric aptitude." Archibald said.

"Aques!" Roger screamed, hitting Blaine with his water spell once again. "Drown, you waste of space!"

"Dammit..." Blaine muttered, struggling to stay standing.

"Hold on! Try a water spell, Rashnu!" Zao shouted. _What? Serena just said water wouldn't work on him! _Rashnu struck Roger with Aqua, but it had next to no effect. It would appear Rashnu could use any elemental spell, but lacked any affinity for either of them.

"Okay, I've had enough! Weaklings have no place here! So it's time you settle down!" Roger, calling upon the full power of Kanaloa, bombarded Zao with trident attacks. Zao fell down, unable to block either of them.

"Zao!" Amara yelled. "You just messed with the wrong girlfriend, buddy!"

"Try to endure the Warfare of Mjolnir!" Archibald roared, and Thor soared towards the ceiling, charged an incredible amount of energy into his cannon, and fired, hitting them with unbelievable force.

"Damn, this geezer's good!" Nathan said, standing up. "Now I'm pissed. Air Brake!"

"Oh shit - no!" Roger said, but he was too slow to dodge. The debilitating wind struck him, and he staggered around. Everyone (except Zao, still on the floor whimpering) started attacking him with his weapons, not giving him any quarter.

"Zionga!" Blaine tried it again, but Thor's Elec Wall just nullified the attack.

"I'm afraid you'll have to get out of the habit of exploiting weaknesses. Not that I'll stop Roger, of course. You know what to do!" Archibald said, nodding. Roger nodded back, and cast another Malaques.

"Oh, goddamit!" Blaine said, falling over again.

"Sorry! Here!" Serena said, but before she could heal him, Thor got her with a Zionga. "Argh!"

"You should leave this to the grown-ups, missy. Kids like you don't have the power to survive in this world!" Roger said.

"Hold on, I'll -" Zao stood up, but a shot from Thor's cannon sent him back down. "Why me?!"

"Right, I've had it with you! You beat up my friends and my boyfriend, you deal with _me_! Try this! Ruby Inferno!" Hathor unleashed a new spell - a powerful sparkling flame that gave Amara some energy, too.

"Interesting. She combined Agilao with Tarukaja. Natural Persona users are incredible. Roger, you're not going stand for that, are you?" Archibald said. Serena and Blaine got up, and she finally got a chance to use Artemis to heal.

"Hell no. Archie, gimme a hand." Roger said, and Kanaloa faced Thor. Kanaloa imbued his trident with great water energy, and placed it in Thor's canon. "Check this out! Hydro Calamity!" Thor blasted Blaine with his canon, sending water all over the area. Blaine was knocked out instantly, but Nathan dashed forward and beat Roger with his staff violently.

"I will never lose to a man without honour! Know your place!" Nathan shouted, finally casting Garula. Roger couldn't get away from the attack, but struck Nathan with his katars before he got hit. "Phew."

"Blaine!" Serena used Recarm, and Blaine woke up, in agony.

"Ugh, this reminds me why I hate swimming..." Blaine said, holding his head.

"So was that good, Archie?" Roger said, panting for breath. All the fighting had left him exhausted, and he kneeled down, breathing even more heavily

"I suppose you did well for your first true battle. Better than that idiot over there." Archibald said, looking over at a collapsed Zao. "Why don't you take a rest? You'll get a chance to eliminate this band of unruly thugs later."

"Dammit! This is like Karen. They're being used!" Nathan shouted.

"Karen?" Roger said. As he stood up, he no longer had his look of arrogance, but a softer and less intense look. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Karen Marshall!" Amara yelled. "Don't you know? Josephine's Persona user!"

"Archie, why didn't you say anything?!" Roger shouted. "She's not dead?"

"I didn't think it'd be necessary to tell you everything. Yet you seem to know this woman. Interesting. Come to my room, and tell me about this Karen…" Archibald said. "I may have found out something Josephine doesn't know!"

"Wait! Don't go with him! Come with us! We can save Karen, but we need your help!" Amara said.

"Shut up already! I'm going." Roger said, and he went through the door he came through.

"I'll let you go. Here's some friendly advice, however. Try to get that blue haired boy some practice!" Archibald said. "What is his name, anyway?"

"Zao...Yuria. Owwie!" Zao said, still in pain.

"I see. Intriguing. This _has_ been a productive session. Get out of this place, and don't come back. If you do, I may get serious about killing you all." Archibald said, and the monitor switched off.

"Coward! He can't even fight us in person!" Nathan yelled. "Let's just get out of here!"

"Wait, shouldn't we tell Aimee and the others what happened?" Serena said.

"Aimee?" Zao asked. "Who's she?"

"Oh, well..." Amara said. "Aimee Davenport. She's still alive in this world, and she runs that secret base we were telling you about!"

"No way! What about Karl?" Zao said. "If we could fight together, that'd be even more awesome! Like old times!"

"Her brother is dead. At least, that's the impression I got." Nathan said. Zao's jaw dropped, and he couldn't manage a smile at all. "Listen, you're still exhausted. We'll come back another day, alright? I'll go to the base and tell them what happened. The rest of you can go on home!"

"Fine with me. I need a drink." Blaine said, yawning.

_FSDC, Office_

"So you and Karen used to be an item, yes?" Archibald said. "Fourteen years later, and now you both are Last Soldiers."

"Karen...all she did was try to tell me how to run my life. I thought I loved her, but now that I think about it, she was just too weak to live without me. How could she get a Persona?" Roger said, frowning.

"Well, let me show you some footage from the other day." Archibald said, and he started to play a recording of the Last Soldier broadcast. Roger's eyes widened as he saw the timid Karen, and the bombastic Josephine. "Pathetic, isn't it? She thinks God saved her, and she's far too ignorant to realise she is merely Josephine's plaything."

Roger was quiet, scrutinizing the screen. "What a joke. She's just following those who are stronger. Left to herself, she can't do a damn thing!"

"Why, that's harsh. I thought you loved this woman." Archibald said. "It doesn't seem Karen knows about this, though. Josephine's desperate to show me up, but I can turn this completely against her."

"You mean I get to fight Karen?" Roger said.

"Yes. Then you'll finally be free." Archibald said. "I like you, Roger. You can appreciate the freedom the Shadows can give you. Now with your power, you can cut all ties with your past. Eliminate Karen, and we'll be able to do anything we please!"

"Anything?"

"Absolutely anything. The only limiting factor is our imaginations. Now, go and get some sleep. We'll hone your skills for a while, then we can show Josephine your true strength. I doubt Karen will be ready to fight back. Go." Archibald said. Roger slowly left the room, and Archibald looked out his window.

"Oh, Josephine perhaps I will indulge in your game. Just this once. That's all I'll need."

_Farawell, Outside Amara's House_

"So tomorrow, I get to see Aimee again. I wonder if she'll remember me?" Zao said, as he and Amara walked to her house.

"If you, Karl and her were all friends, then I'm sure she will! Um, if you want us to hang out with him, I don't mind. I just don't want him getting involved in this, too." Amara said.

"Oh...yeah, you're right. He shouldn't know what his sister's doing. You know, after this has happened, we don't have to hide anything, do we?" Zao asked.

"Well, no. But you need to catch up, so we can all fight at the same level. I'll figure something out. Zao, your Persona was pretty cool!" Amara said, smiling.

"I know! Looks like my great sense of fashion carries over to metaphysical creations!" Zao said, happy. "So will you train me? I want to be able to help you, so I do better than I did against that Roger prick!"

"Sure! Consider Amara Furaha your Persona Trainer!" Amara said, and the two of them laughed.

"Sweet. This reminds me of my teenage fantasy. I go to the gym, and I meet a sexy female trainer, and she helps me exercise, then we go to her place, and..." Zao said, winking.

"Zao, you naughty boy! Did you tell anyone about this fantasy?" Amara asked.

"Ha! No way! No one really matched the girl in my fantasy. Well, until you!" Zao said, and he winked again at Amara. "You know, I _am _kind of tired."

"Me too. Why don't you come upstairs, and I'll get you some coffee?" Amara asked.

"Sure." Zao said, and Amara ran inside, squealing with glee. Zao smiled, and stood there in thought. Today, he had met Karl again, and hoped to hang out just like old times. Yet, he wasn't a little kid anymore. Now, he would be on the battlefield, using Rashnu to kill Shadows. If he was doing this alone, he would never be able to fight them. But Amara was laying her life on the line too. He had to do the same, just like his grandpa in the war.

"Aren't you coming?" Amara asked.

"Sorry! On my way!" Zao said, and he ran upstairs.


	32. Chapter 32: Sisters of War

**Chapter 32: Sisters of War**

_Outside Motion Publishing_

"Oh, there you are!" Amara said, running up to Stella. "This is the first time we've met outside the building, isn't it?"

"Yes! I decided to get here early today. The spirits warned me of a traffic jam if I took my usual bus." Stella said. "So what's new with you?"

"You'll never guess what - we have a new member! And it's Zao!" Amara said, excitedly.

Stella gasped. "So, he has a Persona too? I never saw such an event coming. Granted, I never imagined a fifth member to your group." Stella said.

"I was really surprised myself. He's still new, however, so he'll need to do a lot of training to catch up. Still, I'm glad he's with us. I think he'll be a great partner!"

"I'd need to do a reading on this later, but if you think so, then you're probably right." Stella said, adjusting her turban. "Anyway - oh, there's Karen!"

"Morning, girls." Karen said, walking towards the girls. _Karen... _The battle with Roger yesterday was still fresh on Amara's mind. To think he became so cruel thanks to the Shadows...

"So what happened? You did go to the park, right?" Stella asked.

"Yes, I did! And the man that showed up - it was Roger!" Karen said. "Amara, you knew all along, didn't you?"

"I didn't know what to say! I'm sorry, I -"

"It doesn't matter now. I never imagined I'd see him in this city again...he asked me if we could still see each other." Karen said.

"That's great! So you're back together!" Amara said. "Right?"

"No." Karen said, sadly. "I did want him back, but I was thinking. Ever since I met him fifteen years ago, I've been relying on men like him for support. That has to stop. The time has come for me to stop looking for people to cling to."

"But is this really what you want?" Stella asked.

"It's for the best. You saw what I was like, during the weekend. Roger deserves better than me." Karen said. "The man must be a millionaire by now. I'm no good for him."

"Karen, are you absolutely sure you won't get back together with him? I've seen the way you look at him." Amara said.

"I'm sure. It's not that I don't like him. I love him! Fourteen years and I still love the bones off that man! I just don't want to ruin his life." Karen said. "Come on, we have a magazine to write. Let's go."

"Stella, can't you do something?" Amara asked.

"This is something they need to work out for themselves. Come on, let's talk more about Zao. What's his Persona called?" The two of them went into the office, yet all Amara could think about was Karen. Tonight, however, she'd have to go to the other world, and meet Aimee again. Did she really have to tell her she dated her brother? Who was still alive in her world? Love was complicated.

_Legarte Harbour_

"Man, I'm tired." Zao said, slowly getting out of the boat. He'd caught quite a lot of fish today, and now he hoped he could have a nap before he had to go see Aimee. The little girl he used to fantasise about marrying. He was such a silly kid then, even now he enjoyed clowning around. Now, it was Amara he thought about.

"Good work, boy." Zao's grandfather, Deo, said. "You better rest up before you meet that girl of yours. When am I going to meet the lucky lass, anyway?"

"Soon, grandpa. You go on ahead. I feel like looking at the sea for a bit longer." Zao said.

"Again? You look at the water every day, and you want to see more? You're like a fish yourself!" Deo said, walking off. Soon afterwards, he saw Karl running towards him.

"Hey, Zao!" Karl ran up, and the two of them high fived each other. "Sorry I ran off yesterday. How you doing?"

"Great! I caught some pretty big fish today! Sorry about yesterday, I wasn't thinking."

"You never do! Don't you remember how we became friends? You went down the slide in the playground whilst I was on it, we crashed into each other, and I started yelling at you! You were just like "Sorry, didn't see you there!" and then you just pulled a funny face!" Karl said, chuckling. "That was a fun day!"

"We had a lot of fun, didn't we? I'm glad I found you again." Zao said. "Hey...about me and Amara, does it bother you? I honestly didn't know -"

"C'mon, Zao. I haven't seen you in years, and you think I'm gonna resent you for that? No way, man. Real friends don't let things like that get in the way! Besides, Amara looked so happy with you!" Karl said, sighing. "I wish it hadn't ended, though."

"Don't look so glum! We just have to find you a new woman. Trust me, I'll scour the whole city until we find the perfect lady! It's a promise!" Zao said, grinning. "With this blue-haired wingman, you can't lose! We'll get enough girls for an entire fan club!"

"I've already got one of those. Well, it only has like fifty members." Karl said, shrugging.

"Fifty girls? That sounds like the Karl I know!" Zao said.

"At least you're doing something right. You got with Amara, and she's really picky! Heck, I had to ask her out four times before she said yes..." Karl said, laughing. "Seriously, though, I'm glad you're happy. But forget the serious stuff for a second. Richard and I were freaking awesome today, you should have seen it! The guys at Augustus NA had never seen anything like it!"

Over the next half hour, Zao listened to Karl discussing their match against another team from Nova Albion he had never heard of, and how they would have lost had it not been for Karl and Richard's teamwork. It was just like the time he, Karl and Aimee were at a soccer match, and Karl was commentating on every single part of the game. He never felt more passionate about anything than soccer, and dreamed about being good enough for the Wolrd Cup. It looked like that dream would come true someday.

"Sounds like fun. Looks like we're both following 'the dream', huh?" Zao said.

"I'll say! When we were young, you always were going on and on about fish. Me, I was always kicking a ball around, smashing a few windows or running away from a furious dad." Karl said. "I just wish Aimee was here."

Zao was silent for a minute. Aimee...when he heard she was dead, he felt sadder than he had ever been. Now, he was going to see her tonight. How could he not tell Karl? Yet, he promised Amara he wouldn't.

"Me too. I thought we said no serious talk! Bad Karl! Anyway, you busy this weekend? I was thinking you, me and Amara could go bowling!" Zao said.

"Bowling? Well if she's okay with it, sure. Crap, I gotta go. Bye, Zao!" Karl said, running off. Zao walked away, whistling a tune. Life was pretty good...even if slaying monsters was to become a habit.

_Solar Ray Mall, Outside Bar Seoul_

"Alright, talk to you later. See you soon, doll!" Blaine said, hanging up. Yet another break had been taken up by talking to Lucy. Still, it was more fun than going to the electronics store to watch the HDTV. (He only did this because his wages couldn't possibly cover a new TV, and Dan was too cheap to by a new one.) Lucy had been talking about her boss and Roger, but Blaine hadn't seen Roger around. Arranging that interview would have to wait.

"Blaine?" Roger was right behind Blaine, apparently waiting for him to finish. _Damn, where did he come from?_

"Whoa! Hello Boss!" Blaine said.

"So I hear you finally got yourself a girlfriend?" Roger asked, a little glum. A far cry from the arrogant, bloodthirsty man Blaine was fighting yesterday.

"Damn straight! My dating slump is finally over!" Blaine said, smug. "Even though she tells me to stop yawning when I'm on the phone. Damn those night shifts. What's up with you?"

"Well...there's a woman I like too. No, I love her. I finally got to see her again after fourteen years, but she wouldn't take me back." Roger said, sighing.

"You talking about Karen? She's my girl's boss!" Blaine said. "Actually, Lucy was hoping to get an interview with you for their magazine!"

"Oh?" Roger said. "Interesting. Someone _has_ been calling asking for interview opportunities, but I've never had the time to arrange anything. Now, I have an excuse to go down there! Tell Lucy I'll come as soon as possible!"

"Sure thing. Oh, I got an idea! You know Bianca's store, right?" Blaine said.

"Of course, Blaine. I do run this place all day long..." Roger said, pointing at all the stores near them.

"Don't be a smartass! I'm just sayin' Karen would probably love it if she got flowers from the man of her dreams. But she'd probably like them from you, too! Trust me, man, it'll work!" Blaine said.

"I could try that. If this works, I might see to giving you a bonus! Well, I have to get back to work. So do you, from the looks of the man glaring at you!" Roger said, walking away.

"Sorry, Kim!" Blaine said, ready for another afternoon of serving dishes he couldn't pronounce to ungrateful people. Still, at least he had something important to do tonight.

_Secret Base, 7:30pm_

At the base, Dan was lying on the sofa and the others except Priscilla were at the table, eating tonight's dinner.

"This casserole kinda sucks. No wonder Dan didn't want any." Kyle said.

"Young man, it's good for you! Even if I didn't cook the carrots long enough!" Aimee said.

"Don't worry about, Kyle. We can grab some curry later." Dan said. "Man, without Priscilla, we have to eat the worst crap in the world!"

"Oh, I didn't see you guys! Hello!" Aimee said. "Is there something behind you?"

"BOO!" Zao said, leaping out from behind Amara. "...Aimee?"

"No way! Zao?! Then, you're the Zao Amara was talking about!"

"Well duh. How many people in the world are called Zao?" Blaine said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah! It's destiny, huh? Turns out I got a Persona too! So we'll be fighting together! Isn't that awesome?" Zao said, grinning.

"Zao..." Aimee said. She looked like she was about to cry…and suddenly, she leaped out of her chair and hugged him close.

"Whoa, easy! You're crushing me! Oww!" Zao said, laughing whilst Aimee sobbed.

"Sorry!" Aimee let go, still tearful. "Zao, it's been so long! I didn't think you were alive! I-"

"Well, I'm alive over there! Hey, did you know Amara used to go out with Karl? Small world!" Zao said, grinning. The mention of this name made Aimee gasp.

"Is this true, Amara?!" Aimee shouted, very emotional.

"Zao! Yes, it's true. Me and Karl were together for a while." Amara said.

"Yeah! Uh…wait, I forgot. Karl's dead over here. And you're dead over there! Wait -"

"Zao, you seriously need to think how you say things!" Nathan said, as Aimee became hysterical.

"Aimee, just calm down-"

"My brother's alive?! But I'm not? That's-"

"I'm sorry. I had no idea who you were. I should have figured it out sooner. Karl misses you a lot. When me and him were together, he panicked every time he couldn't find me, or didn't answer his calls. Eventually, I had to tell him I couldn't see him anymore. When I did…he just walked away." Amara said.

That had been an awful day. She really did like Karl. Loved him, even. They met at a bar whilst Amara was in her last year of college, and despite turning him down, she thought he was rather attractive. There was something bizarrely charming about his corny chat-up lines and his hopeless dance moves, too. Finally, the fourth time he tried, she gave in - and soon fell in love. Almost as soon as she did with Zao.

"Do you want us to give you some space?" Serena asked.

"No, it's alright. I'll be fine. I just…I just wish there was a world where the both of us were alive, without Shadows. But it's not going to happen." Aimee said. "Amara, don't worry. I know my brother's gone. Zao, you met up with Karl again, right? What does he do?"

"He plays for Saragel's Lyeds Soccer Club! He's just a midfielder for now, but I bet one day he'll make captain!" Zao said. "That's right! I remember the time your parents took us to a soccer game! You were bored, but me and Karl were cheering the whole time! Karl loved it the most, I remember that!"

"Zao, welcome to the team!" Aimee said. And so, the two of them began talking about their lives - Zao's being the least depressing, of course. Aimee couldn't remember some of the things Zao was talking about, but she was so happy, and just so delighted to talk about happier days.

"Well then, let's get down to business. Nathan told us last night about that Roger dude. I kinda knew him from school. I thought he was kind of lame. You know, always talking about the theatre, classical music, his business goals." Dan said.

"That doesn't sound lame." Nathan said, hurt.

"Well, it does to someone who can only think about hot girls - um…anyway! Today, it's time for some training! How about we split up?" Dan said.

"Sounds good. Dan, how about you and Blaine go with Zao and Amara?" Aimee said.

"Awesome! Blaine sounded so cool, the way Amara talked about him!" Zao said.

"Someone's popular!" Dan said.

"Tell me about it. I'm the guy going out with Lucille Victoria Crossman!" Blaine said, proud of himself.

"You're going out with someone that's got a middle name?" Dan said, rolling his eyes. "You can tell me all about her later. Especially if she has any hot friends that are looking for someone -"

"Dan, enough! Serena and Nathan, you can go with Kyle and Seraphina! Once again, I'll stay here and keep an eye on Priscilla. You can go anywhere you want, but stay away from the Farawell Shadow Development Centre or the Divine Halls." Aimee said. "If the Ater Vox get you-"

"Don't worry! We'll be fine!" Zao said. "Man, this is going to rock!" Dan and Blaine exchanged mischievous looks, and Amara sighed.

_Saragel, Basketball Court_

"Press ups?! Seriously? Come on, that's not fun -"

"Shut up, maggot, and give me twenty!" Dan shouted. The two men watched as Zao reluctantly began doing push ups, and Amara just sighed.

"You guys are having way too much fun with this." Amara said.

"Oh, come on, it's good for him. The little shrimp needs some exercise, anyway!" Blaine said.

"What the hell, man? I reel in fish for a living! I don't need this!" Zao said.

"You know, he's right. You don't need to work on your arms! So go run twenty laps of the court!" Dan said. "Oh, and that's an order. Scary things happen to people who don't follow my every word."

"Okay! Please don't kill me!" Zao whimpered, and began his jogging.

"So the idea is, when there aren't any Shadows here, you guys get to torture Zao?" Amara said.

"Yup!" Blaine said. "Hey, lift those legs! I want to see you break a sweat!"

"You guys are mean to me!" Zao squealed.

_Legarte, Segholt Avenue_

"This is where your house is. Or where it used to be…" Serena said, looking around. It didn't look too much different, but most of the front yards of the houses were overgrown. So that was how scared the people here were - they couldn't even go to their gardens.

"Yeah. I haven't been back here since then. Everyone here must think I'm dead." Kyle said.

"Sir Kyle, are you sure you can handle coming here?" Seraphina asked.

"It's okay! I'm not a little kid anymore!" Kyle said. "C'mon, let's go kill some Shadows. If Roger and Karen are going to get stronger, we need to do the same!"

"Then we shall do so. Let's explore the area!" Nathan said. "I'll show you what Setanta can do!"

_One Hour Later_

The four of them had been fighting a lot of Shadows. Or 'grinding', as Serena insisted on calling it. Nathan had learned a new spell, titled 'Zephyr Aria', which seemed to combine Garula and Foolish Whisper. Serena, in turn, had 'Prism Waters', able to heal herself and damage a target. Kyle and Seraphina were still stronger overall, though, and Seraphina was particularly impressive with her Megido and Zanma attacks.

"Phew…let's take a break. I wish we had brought snacks!" Kyle said. "I can't believe I've gone through all of the pretzels Serena gave me."

"Well, you're always eating them!" Nathan said.

"They're just so good! On a serious note, look over there!" Kyle said, pointing to a house that looked shiny and new compared to the rest. "See that new place? That's where my house used to be. Pierre Leonard, you bastard."

"Well, that's not a nice thing to say!"

Serena gasped. When she turned around, she screamed out loud.

"Nina?!"

She recognised the long, flowing wavy blonde hair and those green eyes…only they weren't the kind eyes she remembered. These were cold, brutal eyes. Clad in a yellow coat, knee high boots and green gloves, she had that same crazed look as Josephine, Archibald and Nihane.

"So, we finally meet. You're the Nina Agnethe." Nathan said.

"You were smart to avoid the Farawell Shadow Development Centre after last night's episode. Honestly, I'm a little tired of listening to Josephine ramble about her competition with Archie."

"Nina, why are you one of the Ater Vox?!" Serena said.

Nina just scoffed. "Little brat. You always dragged the family down, even as a child…you never could compare to me. Even in that other world, my parents still praise me, right? It must be so hard, knowing you could never be the daughter they actually wanted!" Nina goaded.

"Serena?" Kyle said.

"That's right! I heard them talking once. They never planned on having me. It doesn't matter! I don't care about them, anyway! Or you! The minute I'm old enough, I'm out of that door!" Serena yelled.

"You think you're such an adult, don't you? You must see it as your mission to save the city, because it's the 'right thing to do'! Grow up. Shadow power is the way of the future, just as Nihane said!" Nina said. "You should care about your parents, Serena…after all, without me, there's no one to carry on the Agnethe name! Such a tragedy!"

"Lady Serena, what nonsense is this villain spewing?" Seraphina asked.

"This name isn't worth carrying on. All this time, I was hoping I could ask you to stop! But you're not my sister anymore. My parents, my sister, they're nothing to me! All I need is Kyle, nothing else!" Serena screamed.

"Wonderful. Serena, challenge me. Let us compare Artemis' power to mine! Come forth, **Hel**!"

"What? She's summoning the underworld?!" Nathan yelled.

However, the dark persona that emerged from the evil red aura was a woman, whose body was dark blue with icy blue feet. Surrounded by an icy mist, she had a blue cloak and an icy glyph beneath her feet. Her short blue hair had an icy white fringe, and she carried a double-edged spear, that was made out of ice itself. Even her red eyes had a cold, evil air to them…

"Seraphina, you know what to do!" Kyle yelled. "Agilao!"

A burst of flames struck Nina, sending her to the floor. Reacting quickly, Serena dashed forward and whipped her as many time as she could. Yet, despite the rage she put into each swing, the whip couldn't even scratch Nina.

"That won't work, brat! You obviously didn't inherit our parent's intelligence. Face it, you can't stop me!" Nina said, snidely.

Serena had never been angrier her entire life. "There's no way you're better than me! Not if you're causing the city so much suffering. Aques!" A burst of water struck Nina, and she stood up, holding up her weapon - a pair of sickles connected via a chain.

"Wunderbar, schwester!" Nina said, laughing. "Now it's my turn. Death welcomes you to Hel! Icicle Pain!" A massive hail of icicles landed on the team, with far more force than Mabufula.

"You're quite capable. I have to admit that." Nathan said.

"Oh, skip the honourable crap! Just die, would ya?" Nina said.

"I don't think so! Zephyr Aria!" An upbeat tune played as winds resembling musical scores struck Nina, and the silence effect actually took hold.

"What?! You prick! Fine, I'll just have to hack and slash you to pieces! Don't expect any mercy!" Nina said.

"Gladly. In turn, do not expect any mercy from us. Zanma!" Seraphina said. A powerful Almighty strike made Nina even angrier, and she swung her sickles around, as if they were extensions of her own body.

**Everyone, I've carefully analysed the malicious energy of this Persona. Hel, she has no Arcana. All I can feel is an empty void, unlike with us. Ice, Light and Dark are completely useless on her, and attempting to lash out at her with your armaments will prove pointless. Kyle, you use your Fire spells, and the rest of you, just use all your best spells! Do not strike with weapons!**

"Feel the flame! Agilao!" Kyle roared, but Nina jumped out of the way of the flames.

"Fool! Mudoon!" Nina chanted. It seemed she could break free from her ailment quicker than others. Just as the dark curse was about to engulf Kyle…

"No!" Serena yelled, pushing him out of the way. The curse enveloped her, but did not take effect. "You won't lay a finger on him!"

"So, that's how it is. Without a family to turn to, you go to the loneliest kid in school? How sad! You deserve each other! Mabufula!" This ice spell was less painful than her other one, but still brutal.

"I'm getting tired of this wretched woman. Go to hell! Zephyr Aria!" Setanta fired another musical wind, but the silence ailment did not hold. "Oh, come on!"

"Agilao!" Kyle yelled, but Nina dodged it. He tried again and again, but she managed to avoid every flame he sent forth. "Aww, come on!"

"Don't waste all your energy on me, cripple! I have more than enough to take care of all of you!" Nina boasted, and she set about flailing her sickle weapon around. Seraphina took these hit's the worst, falling to her knees.

"No! Diarama!" Serena quickly healed with Artemis, and glared at Nina. "I'll destroy you! Prism Waters!" A sphere of water, shining with rainbow light, burst around Nina. Another ray of rainbow light shined on Serena, healing her.

"Urgh! You've been training hard, I see! Good thing that useless newbie isn't here, or he'd be dead by now!" Nina said.

"With Blaine and Dan with him, that might well be the case..." Nathan said, shuddering.

"Focus, moron! Mudoon!" Nina suddenly cried - and Nathan fell to the curse. "That's what you get for trying to seal my wonderful magic!"

"There is absolutely nothing wonderful about you, Nina. I can feel it…you pine for the cruel, heartless man you call Nihane, but he has shown you nothing but indifference and contempt! Lady Serena, on the other hand, has shown kindness and compassion to her friends, especially Sir Kyle! You have _nothing_!" Seraphina yelled. "Now fade into nothingness like you deserve! **Grimoire's Armada!**"

"What an agonising speech - argh!" Suddenly, many comets of dark purple energy rained on Nina, and they exploded into star-like clusters of light. Those same clusters surrounded the entire time, in the form of energy barriers. "So, 'kindness' and 'compassion' still matter in a world like this? You really are naïve children!"

"Miss, I'm twenty eight. In a world like this, kindness and compassion keep us going! Your sister can see that, but you can't. You don't even care the Serena of this world is dead, do you? The fact that you're willing to go on with the Eternal Road despite what happened is proof that you're not better than her!" Nathan yelled.

"Why don't you all go on stage and say those lines? You might get a standing ovation there! Now quit talking! Icicle Pain!" Nina said, and Hel twirled her lance around, blasting the team with icicles yet again. "Had enough yet?"

"No way. Not after what Nathan said about me!" Serena said. "Prism Waters!" Once again, she was healed as Nina was struck by water.

"Agilao!" Kyle finally landed another hit with his fire spell. "Alright! Nathan, I could have used a Sukukaja by now!"

"Woops, sorry!" Nathan said. "Here's one now. Sukukaja!" A green column of light surrounded Kyle's body, enhancing his agility.

"Better late than never! Magma Sword!" Hephaestus swung his fiery blade at Nina, and a small quake struck her as her body hit the ground.

"Ugh...you're better than I thought." Nina muttered, as she stood up. "Perhaps I should have followed Archie's example. But I won't lose here! Bufula!"

An icy blast hit Seraphina, but she retaliated with Megido. Serena used Aques, and Nathan commanded yet another Zephyr Aria, which finally made Nina dismiss Hel and put away her weapon.

"You fought well. Nihane will be disappointed I couldn't defeat all of you by myself. Yet, he is hopeful the Divine Spark shall emerge. Serena, one day I'll kill you! Farewell, sister!" Nina said, and she disappeared.

"Is everyone alright?" Nathan asked. Seraphina was a little weary, but otherwise everyone seemed to be fine. It was good that they could hold their own against one Ater Vox, but they clearly would never manage against more. Defeating them outright didn't seem possible, either.

"Nina, what was she saying before?" Kyle asked.

"I'll...tell you when we get back." Serena said, sobbing.

_Secret Base_

Everyone was back, and Priscilla had left her room at last. She couldn't bear to look at Nathan, and wasn't saying a word. She was eating a sandwich, however, which seemed to bring some peace of mind to him.

"Okay, we're all here. It looks like Zao got some exercise, if nothing else." Aimee said, laughing at the sight of a sweaty, panting Zao collapsed on the sofa.

"You'll get the hang of it! Next time, it'll be forty laps." Dan said, smugly.

"We're sorry we took so long, but something happened. We were in Legarte, and…" Nathan said, and he began telling the others about the battle with Nina - the third Ater Vox they had battled.

"If they're not using Roger or Karen to fight us, they've gotten serious. I'm glad you're all alright, though. It can't have been easy, fighting your own sister." Aimee said.

"I knew we'd have to face her at some point. Don't worry about that."

"Um…Serena, you're going to tell us what Nina was talking about, right?" Kyle asked.

"On my 17th birthday, I had Kyle and a few other friends at my house for a party. My parents were being all nice, talking about me as a little girl and stuff, and they even made me a huge cake. So the party was good, until my parents started going on about Nina."

"Well, she was your sister -"

"I know! Ever since she died, they won't stop talking about her! Every Christmas, every birthday, every day of the year! All I hear is Nina, Nina, NINA! I'm just the 'accident daughter'!" Serena said, eyes watering.

"Serena..." Kyle said.

"So I snap, right then and there. I tell them I'm sick of hearing about her, how they never loved me the way they loved her. Everyone's freaked out, and they all leave except Kyle. Nina would have been thirty four if she was still alive, you know? She might have gotten married, had kids. That's what my parents said. So I say "What about me?!" to them."

"What did they say to that?" Amara said - although she had an idea.

"They said because of something that happened when I was born, I can't. I'll never be a mother. I'll never give them grand children. Nina didn't have that problem! With her gone, there's no one to carry on the lineage. Don't get me wrong, I didn't want to have kids then! But I don't even have the option now!" This was too much for her to bear, and the tears came, without any sign of stopping.

No one knew what to say, but Amara wanted to find the right words. Saying everything would be okay wouldn't work. Changing the subject wasn't an option. So…eventually, she stepped forward and hugged Serena close.

"Amara?" Serena said, through her sobbing.

"I'm sorry. I want to help, but I can't. This is all I can do."

"I must sound like such an idiot-"

"You don't. If I was in your shoes, I'd probably hate your parents too. If you want someone to talk to, and Kyle's too busy...come to my place sometime. I won't hide anything from you. I promise."

"Amara..." Serena said, finally calm again. "Thank you. I'm just glad I told someone."

"Serena, um, I'll be here for you too!" Kyle said, blushing.

"I know you will. I'm your pretzel delivery girl!" Serena said, and the two of them laughed. "Anyway, it's getting late. Let's go home!"

"...Yeah." Blaine said, and the team left.

_Farawell, Amara's Apartment_

"Wow, it's...the same as it was before." Serena said, giggling. "Seriously, you need a maid to clean all this up."

"That must be why she brought you here then!" Zao said. "I think my parents have a maid costume lying around. I didn't know why when I first saw it, but..."

"I don't want to be a maid! Those costumes are stupid anyway!" Serena said. "Anyway, thanks for having me round."

"Don't mention it. I know what we should do! I have a huge collection of arthouse movies. Want to watch one before you go home?" Amara asked.

"Um, okay..." Serena said. From the look on her face, she was unsure what kind of films Amara was talking about. "You pick one. Just as long as it doesn't involve unique ways of performing caesareans."

"There's multiple ways to do that?" Zao asked. "I'm still not sure what a caesarean is..."

"Zao, we'll tell you about that later. Let's watch the one about musicians with artists' block falling in love." Amara said. "It's...weird."

"How weird?" Serena asked, nervously.

"You'll see. Me and my friend Michelle watched it last year, and she couldn't believe what she was seeing." Amara said. "Sit back, Serena. You're in for quite a show!"

_Two hours later..._

"What the hell kind of ending was that?!" Serena asked. "The guy was on top of his piano, and he sees his dead ex-wife and his new girlfriend, and there was blood everywhere and some guy started playing the piano!"

"It was supposed to be symbolic, I guess." Amara said, shrugging. "You'd think after fighting all those Shadows, we wouldn't be surprised by stange stuff anymore."

"It took my mind off Nina, at least. Thanks again for having me round!" Serena said. "It's really late now, though. I'd better be going. See you!"

"Bye!" Amara said, as Serena left. "Well, Zao, it's getting late, like she said. I'm going to bed."

"Me too. I'm exhausted. I will get better at this, right?" Zao asked.

"Sure you will! I wasn't too great at first, either." Amara said. "Need help getting home?"

"Nope, I can manage. See you!" Zao said. "But before I go..."

Zao gave Amara a soft, tender kiss on her lips. Normally, he would have just quickly kissed her on the cheek, but this was so much more.

"Wow, Zao..." Amara said, blushing.

"I'm glad I met you. If I hadn't met you, I wouldn't have anything to work for - like saving the other world." Zao said. He wasn't joking around, either. "Good night."

"You too!" Amara said. Zao left, and Amara smiled. It seemed fighting Shadows had made Zao care about her even more than before, and she had to admit, having him with her made her feel better too. In fact, his prescence made her fight harder than ever, and as long as they were together, she was unbeatable.


	33. Chapter 33: The Battle Rages

**Chapter 33: The Battle Rages**

_Real People Offices_

"Hey Stella! Me and Sheila are going speed dating on Friday! Wanna come?" Colette asked.

"Well, as awkward as it will be, I suppose it couldn't hurt. Go on then." Stella said, nervously.

"Awkward? What's the worst that could happen? All you have to say is 'piss off' if you don't like them, and they get the message. Unless that turns them on. In which case, get the hell out." Sheila said.

"Speed dating? Sounds stupid!" Lucy said. "Anyway, guys, I have a little announcement to make! Blaine was talking to Roger yesterday, and he - um -"

"Good morning, ladies and gentleman." Karen said.

"All these women, and not one of them wants me! Why me?!" Juan said, mock crying.

"Stop that, Juan! Lucy, this person said they're coming to my office soon, yes?" Karen said.

"Yes, Karen. They said it's a surprise, but since our magazine has been doing pretty well, they really want to talk to us!" Lucy said. _Gee, __I can't imagine who's coming._

"I see. Amara, could I speak to you for a moment?" Karen asked.

"Sure." Amara said, and she stepped into Karen's office. "What is it?"

"Well, I've been thinking. I couldn't bear living on my own when Roger left, but when I begged him to stay, he got so angry at me. Now he wants us to be together again. I'm scared if we do, I'll lose him again." Karen said.

"This again? Karen, you're not the same as you were then-"

"Yes I am. I may not act like it as much, but the only reason I got married four times was because I didn't think I could do any better! I couldn't handle being alone, because fifteen years ago, someone hurt me." Karen said.

"Hurt you?" Amara said. "Wait, are you talking about-"

"Yes! A man named Victor came across me as I was leaving a bar on my own, and he...I can't even say it now." Karen said, shaking. "It was terrible. Worse than the stories I'd read about. I just felt worthless, weak, like I couldn't go outside without seeing him again."

"Karen..."

"Finally, my mother persuaded me to go outside for some fresh air. But I couldn't handle it! I fled the area, but then I bumped into a man. He was a handsome fellow carrying a stack of classical records. I was crying my eyes out, but he tried to talk to me. He was so gentle, and I felt I could trust him."

"So that's how you met him?" Amara asked.

"Yes. He knew Victor, too. He was a thug from Kanaloa. Roger was from the same place, but he was patient. He wouldn't hurt a fly. So after a while, we were finally able to put him in jail. Even after that, I was afraid all the time. Roger was the only one who made me feel safe. I don't know why he put up with me, but for one year, we were always together. He wasn't like other men. He enjoyed classical music, the theatre, even chess. But he had ambitions - making Kanaloa a better place, for example. I always assumed he hated me for trying to stop him from going, but now he comes back and says he wants us to be together. I just don't know what to do!"

"Really? I think I know exactly what you want. Roger! It's that simple!" Amara said. "If you're worried about relying on him, don't. You're pretty strong yourself - after all, you have to put up with me and the others every day! Everyone looks up to you, too! Even me!"

"Is that so?" Karen said. "You know what? I'm going to call him. We have a lot to talk about!"

Just then, the office door opened, and a man came in, face obscured by a large beautiful bouquet of white lilies. "Whoa!" Amara yelled. Even the flowers Karl gave her last Valentine's Day weren't as gorgeous as those. _Bianca, right?_

"Good morning, Karen." Karen took the lilies, and her eyes widened as she saw Roger's grinning face.

"Roger! How did you know where I worked?" Karen asked.

"Your employee has been hounding me for an interview for days! If she wasn't working for you, I'd have blocked that number. Now I have an excuse to come down. Karen, I know what you said on Monday, but I can't accept it. I don't want to find anyone else. I only want you. You're stronger than you think, trust me!" Roger said.

"Roger, thank you. These are beautiful, and - oh, who am I kidding? I love you too!" Karen quickly embraced Roger, and kissed him with more love and devotion than she had probably ever shown her husbands. "I have an idea. There's a restaurant near Augustus Square that I've been dying to try out for ages. Let's go there, you and me!"

"Is this really happening?!" Roger asked, stunned. "I'm definitely coming! How about Friday at 7pm?"

"Sounds good. I'll be waiting! Before that, we have work to do! Amara, you can go now. Lucy, get in here!" Amara left the office, with a huge smile on her face. Everyone else was looking eagerly at the office, especially after seeing Karen kiss Roger.

"Looks like they really did work things out for themselves. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder!" Stella said.

"They don't look drunk to me!" Juan said.

"Juan, she didn't say _Absinthe_. Piss off." Sheila said. Amara got back to work. Hopefully, Karen would find the strength to avoid clinging to people for support, and still be with Roger. Yet their other selves were still a problem. What to do?

_Secret Base_

Zao arrived at the base earlier, due to his training. This time, he actually worked on using Rashnu's spells, but hadn't achieved the second level of spells.

"Well, it sucks that I'm still stuck on level one magic, but at least I didn't have to run around for two hours!" Zao said, smiling yet again.

"No, that's tomorrow. With weights around your ankles. Anyway, what's new with you guys?" Dan asked the team. Serena had a phone call from Kyle earlier, who was enjoying his trip in France. Nathan hadn't found out anything about Josephine other than where she worked before Aeternus. Blaine was going out Friday night with Lucy. Amara told everyone about Karen and Roger, and they seemed pleased to hear about them getting together again.

"Well, that's good! It's kind of romantic, you know? Fourteen years apart, and they meet again!" Aimee said, smiling.

"Yet whilst their selves in that world are happy once again, in this domain they remain against us, and perhaps each other. Dramatic irony, perhaps." Seraphina said.

"I've been keeping an eye on the Farawell Shadow Development Centre, and they've gathered a lot of members. Word on the street is that Roger doesn't like them very much, and Archibald has to stop him from maiming them." Kyle said.

"Word on the street? What is this, Brooklyn?" Dan said, amused "Still, if they have a lot of manpower, it makes it harder to fight the main guy."

"Also, they already finished that new base for Karen in Saragel. They've been given new uniforms - I believe one of the Ornatu Legion members you fought mentioned that?" Aimee said. "A white and blue uniform, with blue tie. Something doesn't feel right about all this…"

"You are correct." The cloaked woman appeared in front of them, and Serena looked especially surprised to see her. "If you do not act now, many casualties will ensue, and it will be too late to save Karen and Roger!"

"What are you talking about?" Nathan asked.

"The Power Tunnels. Roger's Freedom League are going to battle the Angelic Vanguard there! Lorean Tower provides switches to turn power on and off, but going to the tunnels means they can destroy their power source entirely!" The cloaked woman said.

Serena hesitated, staring at this robed figure. "Hold on, aren't you -"

"There's no time, Serena! You must go! ...What is **he** doing here?" she said, pointing at Zao.

"I'm Zao! Pleased to meetcha!" Zao said.

"Your friend said there was a fifth member destined to join us, right? Is this him?" Blaine said.

"...Go. Now!" the cloaked woman said, disappearing. Kyle turned to his machine, pulling up the power tunnel map.

"I see it. The Power Tunnel's latest section, beneath the old hotel. We're going to have to break into the Angelic Vanguard's base to get to Roger and Karen!" Kyle said. "Everyone, get ready and go!"

"Wait, hold on!" Aimee said, dashing off, and coming back with some kind of metal pole arm with a laser blade on it. "Zao, take this! I used to use this weapon, but I wasn't very good with it!"

"Got it! I'm ready whenever you guys are!" Zao said. After everyone prepared for battle, they entered the NDD.

_Angelic Vanguard Base_

It was hard to believe this place was once a run-down hotel, that had been further ruined by the furious battle against Josephine and Karen. Now, the place was stunning, with immaculate white tiled floors, blue decorative banners, and exquisite furniture all around.

"I'll say this about Aeternus, they sure don't waste time with renovations." Blaine said. "So how do we get to the power tunnels?"

"There's probably a basement. We should find it quickly!" Aimee said. "Oh! Priscilla, you came this time?" Priscilla simply nodded, and Nathan looked away. "I see. Zao, I want you to listen to what we say, alright? You're still very inexperienced."

"Come on! I'll be alright. I know you guys are the ones in charge here, so just give the orders!" Zao said.

"Good boy!" Dan said.

"You're not going to treat him like an errand boy, are you?" Nathan said.

"No, silly! What kind of man do you take me for? I call him slave!" Dan said. Nathan rolled his eyes, but Zao was none the wiser.

_Power Tunnels, Saragel Section_

"Why is it always so darn hot in here?" Serena asked.

"These things use a lot of energy, so maybe that's why. Still, I don't see anything - whoa!" Dan said. Right beneath his feet were red stains on the floor. They looked like they were recent, too. "Blood?"

"Look!" Aimee pointed to the wounded body of a young girl in a white uniform, with a blue tie. "She's not breathing…"

"Those sick assholes! She's probably younger than Serena, and they still sent her to die!" Blaine said.

"Everyone, we have entered the fray. We must fight with all our strength to stay alive." Seraphina said, looking at Priscilla.

"Yes." Priscilla said. This was the first thing Amara had heard her say since the Divine Spark fiasco. _This girl, she tried her hardest to get back to her home, and didn't make it..._

"The worst part is, she's probably not the only one who died." Serena said. "We have to stop this now! This really isn't a game. This is war! Let's go!"

_Further Ahead_

"Principality!" A voice screamed from up ahead.

"Take Mikazuchi!" another voice yelled.

"Another battle. Let's hurry and put a stop to it!" Amara yelled. The team ran up to see a Freedom League soldier fighting a Vanguard member, the latter using the angelic Persona. The one with Principality managed to knock the bearer of Take Mikazuchi out, and with her gun, she walked closer…

"Stop!" Aimee yelled.

"Who are you?!" The Vanguard girl said. "Those weapons! You're not civilians!"

"We'll let you go if you leave this man alone. If not, we'll show you just why people fear Natural Personas." Dan said, with a menacing look.

"Argh! Please don't kill me!" The girl ran away, and the man was just barely breathing.

"I think he'll survive, but if a Vanguard finds him, he's in trouble." Kyle said.

"We don't have time to move them out of harm's way. We just defeat everyone we find before they can kill each other. Got that?" Aimee said. "I won't let this go on! I have to protect everyone!" More sounds of fighting could be heard up ahead. Shuddering, Amara pressed onward...

_Later_

The team had travelled through many tunnels, where many Vanguard or League members had perished in battle. Blood stained every room they went through, and the murderers would not remember a thing after being defeated. Neither side was willing to give in, or listen to the other. One wanted a new society where the citizens followed the orders of Aeternus, and built an eternal land of law. The other wished for absolute chaos and freedom, with no one to boss them around.

Aimee was more and more horrified as they went through, and Amara could see why. Seeing all those corpses was a grim sight, and even though she had watched horror films before, seeing real dead bodies was far worse. Amara wanted to get out of here as soon as she could, but they still hadn't found Karen or Roger.

"Two extremes, and we're the middle ground." Serena said. "All those people are dead because of those idiots."

"No, Serena! Karen was vulnerable, and Josephine took advantage of her. I suspect Archibald did the same with Roger. Their stupid game has to end!" Nathan said.

"Ladies and gentlemen, halt your steps. I feel greater power than any of the peons we have come across! The halfway point between the two bases is where the main battle will begin. More blood will be spilled. We must muster up the courage to bear witness to this brutality!" Seraphina said. Priscilla's face was pale, but she didn't say anything.

"We don't have a choice. We have to stop more people from dying! Otherwise, another Divine Spark could appear!" Kyle said.

"Then let's do this thing!" Dan roared, kicking the door down. Amara saw what was inside, and almost threw up.

"Oh my god!" Aimee screamed.

This was a rather large section, a circular room with large pipes in the sides of the wall. Most of them had been damaged by the battle between the soldiers, some still functioning, others completely beyond repair. Most of the soldiers there were already dead, and only three on each side were still fighting.

"Stop, all of you!" Blaine shouted, but they didn't notice. "I'm shocked. And so are they! Tlaloc!" One Mazionga was enough to knock them all out, and with that, the room was filled with over fifty dead bodies and ten unconscious soldiers.

"It's not over yet, is it?!" Aimee said, her face pale at the sight of the bloodshed.

"No. I've never seen anything like this before. Something bothers me. Why haven't any Shadows appeared?" Kyle said.

"I don't know, but I'm concerned. I don't see Karen and Roger." Nathan said. Just then, the door behind them and the one in front of them opened. Josephine and Archibald had joined the battlefield.

"Well, well, well. We have company! It's nice to have spectators! Or perhaps new combatants?" Archibald said.

"You bastards! You two are supposed to be working together, and you have your own soldiers kill each other? Why? What's the point of this?" Aimee wailed.

"Oh? I recall that girl! Aimee Davenport, was it? Yes, the one who overheard our plans!" Josephine said.

"Correct. Her dumb ox of a brother tried to save her, but failed miserably. His actions are undeniable proof that without strength, you don't deserve to live in this world!" Archibald goaded. Aimee painfully shut her eyes, grinding her teeth. "Josephine, do you still intend to pit your Last Soldier against mine?"

"Of course, you slime dog. Mine will bring forth the Divine Spark long before yours ever could!" Josephine said. "Karen, come forth! Do not be alarmed!"

Karen stepped forward, and almost threw up at the sight of the corpses all around the area. "Josephine...my followers! You said -"

"Oh, Josephine, I know this must be difficult to deal with. Yet, my colleague doesn't approve of your ideals. Show him he is a fool!" Josephine yelled. "Karen, the man I speak of is the one responsible. Are you going to let him get away?"

"No! In the name of God, I will not lose! With you and God, I will never fail! Sinners will fall before my blade of judgment!" Karen yelled.

"Nice bravado, but it won't last long. Come out, Roger." Archibald said. Roger came through, and looked at Karen, bemused.

"What?! You?!" Karen said, as she froze on the sport. The sight of her former love had shocked her into silence.

"Archibald! What the hell is going on?!" Josephine shouted.

"You can't tell?" Archibald said, with an arrogant smirk. "Karen and Roger have history, you know. Long story short, a man assaulted Karen, crippling her with fear! Roger helped her overcome that fear. Or so it seemed, but that fear was never overcome! Look at the way she clings to your every word! The idea of a 'God' saving her from darkness? Ridiculous! There is no way such a weak woman could invoke any of the Divine Sparks."

"Karen!" Roger said. "You're fucking pathetic! Aren't you thirty four by now? Yet you're like a child! You can't do anything without anyone to hold your hand, even that old bitch!"

"Karen, don't listen to his cruel words. A man without dignity and grace cannot vanquish your spirit!" Josephine said.

"Listen to yourself. Dignity? Grace? What good do they have in this world? Only one thing matters, and that's getting stronger! Shadows and Personas are the real power here. Karen's Persona is no match for mine, so prepare to die!" Roger yelled, and he summoned Kanaloa.

"You're evil! I trusted you once before, but the devil has taken hold of you. I wasted a long time worrying about you, but now that I've seen who you truly are, I'll have no mercy! Josephine, help me!" Karen said. "Aeshma!"

"Dammit, no!" Amara said. "What the hell are we supposed to do?"

"That's right, I forgot about you." Josephine said. "You can entertain yourself by fighting this Shadow. Behold, the **Akashic Eagle**!"

A tremendous Shadow appeared in front of the team. A dark mockery of an eagle, it's malevolent wings looked like they had writing on it, and each feather had a bizarre symbol engraved. Like all Shadows, it had a mask, just above it's metal beak.

"For once, Josephine, I'm impressed. Now let me show you this specimen! The **Vile Yggdrasill**!" A terrifying Shadow emerged from the darkness, and it was a twisted tree, with bloody roots and a dark, ominous bark. Its leaves were razor sharp blades, and at the very top was a green mask.

"Okay, guys, we need to split up to take these freaks down! Amara, Zao, Serena, Priscilla and Seraphina can cut down that tree! Blaine, Dan, Kyle, Nathan and I will clip that eagle's wings!" Aimee said.

"Aimee's still dangerous when she's mad, huh?" Zao said. "Alright. Guys, I'm going to do the best I can! Let's fight!"

_Akashic Eagle_

"I'm not familiar with this thing." Kyle said. "Let's begin anyway! Agilao!" A burst of fire hit the feathered fiend, who retaliated by flapping it's wings, sending the page-like feathers at the team.

"Ow!" Blaine yelled. "Hold on, I think I got something new! Acid Volt!" A brilliant spark of lightning struck the Eagle, and it looked particularly peaky after this attack. It attempted to use Bufula, but it completely missed.

"Well done, Blaine! Poison should help chip away at it's health!" Kyle said.

"Zephyr Aria!" Nathan sent his melodic winds forth, but the Eagle was not silenced. In fact, the spell had little effect at all. "Okay, that was kind of a let down."

"Relax, buddy, I'll show you something cool. Cursed Swings!" Tezcatlipoca swung his scythe around, each swing generating dark energy that caused dire injury to the Eagle. "Not bad, huh?"

"As epic as always, man! Tlaloc, it's hammer time!" Blaine yelled.

"Seriously? You think you can pull that line off?" Kyle said, watching as Tlaloc pummelled the Eagle with his hammer again. Angry at all the attacks, it flew into the air and cast Magarula. "Argh! Dammit to hell!" Kyle slumped over in his chair, in pain.

"Kyle! Are you alright?" Nathan said.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Son of a bitch..." Kyle moaned, slowly sitting back up. "That bird must be punished! Hephaestus, Magma Sword!" The sword attack powered by earth magic dealt quite a blow to the bird, and it collapsed, making distorted bird noises.

"Here!" Aimee used Irene to heal Kyle, with more energy than Serena's healing skills.

"Take this!" Nathan swung his staff, bashing the eagle many times. "We need an electrifying finale!"

"Couldn't agree more! Dan, you ready?" Blaine said.

"Like you needed to ask!" Dan said, and Tlaloc and Tezcatlipoca rose into the air, their bodies charged with electricity. Holding hands, an incredible amount of power built up. Just as the Shadow was about to fly up and attack, the two Personas released a terrifying bolt of lightning that utterly fried the Eagle. "**Thunderous Finale**!"

"I'm actually a little scared of you two now." Nathan said, in awe.

"Good job guys! Dan, fantastic as always!" Kyle said, beaming.

"Man, we are awesome!" Dan said, shaking Blaine's hand as the Shadow dissipated.

_Vile Yggdrasill_

"This is the tree of mana in Norse mythology. Awesome!" Serena said, amazed. "This one looks horrible, though."

"Tell me about it. Well then, Agilao!" Amara yelled, and the flames caused immense distress to the Shadow. It was 'rooted' to the floor, and it swung it's branches wildly, hitting Zao many times.

"Oof! Uh...Agi!" Zao yelled, and a smaller flame burned the tree. "Hold on, I thought of something cool to say. Let's start a forest fire!"

"That was pitiful, Sir Zao. We must finish this battle with haste! Grimoire's Armada!" Seraphina's impressive spell battered the Shadow, who retaliated with an incredible burst of electricity - even better than Zionga.

"Ow!" Serena screeched, falling to the ground. "That hurt! You're not getting away with that!"

Priscilla stared at the tree, and holding her sceptre, she finally summoned Uathach. Yet it didn't look as colourful as before. Uathach looked just as depressed as Priscilla did. Without any invocation, Uathach cast Bufula, which seemed fairly effective.

The Shadow called forth a Maragilao spell, which didn't harm Amara much, but the searing flames sent Priscilla to her knees. She didn't even try to stand up, and just laid on the floor in a daze. "Priscilla, what the hell are you doing?" Serena yelled. "Damn. Mediarama!" Artemis's healing power once again came in handy.

"Ruby Inferno!" Amara yelled, and the shining flames burnt her opponent and gave her more power. "Okay, try this! Power Slash!" Hathor changed her staff into a sword, and struck the Vile Yggdrasill with great force. In turn, it shook itself rapidly, and it's leaves fell and struck the team, causing quite a bit of damage.

"Owwie!" Zao yelled. "My foot!"

"Zao, stop it!" Serena yelled. "Aques!" A burst of magical water hit the Shadow, who countered by whipping her with one of it's branches. Soon, Serena and the Shadow were constantly whipping each other, their ferocity increasing with each swing.

"It's losing it's energy! Keep going!" Seraphina shouted, as she cast another Megido. However, the Tree also unleashed an Almighty spell, which was rather painful.

"Urgh! Die already! Ruby Ignition!" Once again, the shining flame had the dark tree shrieking in pain, and it was on it's last legs - or roots, rather.

Finally, Priscilla used a Bufula spell to finish it off. "Well done!" Serena said.

"Thank you." Priscilla said.

"Phew, we won!" Amara said. "Oh no! Karen!"

Karen had fallen to her knees, unable to fight any longer. Josephine was watching her, disgusted, as Roger slowly moved towards her, katars in hand. "Roger..."

"It's a real shame. If you had grown up, we could have fought together. Archie's right about you! You useless bitch, I'm sending you to hell!" Karen cowered in fear, bracing herself for Roger to impale her with his katars. Amara suddenly rushed forward and struck him with her blade.

"Argh!" Roger fell down, and Archie gasped.

"What are you playing at, woman?" Josephine said.

"Shut the hell up! You people are sick! Karen, you may not understand this, but there's another world like this one out there. There, you're in charge of a magazine, and I work for you. I can't just let you die, even if you don't know me!" Amara said.

"Roger, stop it. You're like a kid acting out!" Blaine said. "Come on, this isn't how you really feel, is it? If you kill Karen, then what will you do?"

"I can do whatever the hell I want!" Roger yelled. "I dunno who you are, but you're pissing me off! All of you!"

"Oh yeah? Then what _is_ it that you want to do?" Dan said.

"Ugh, you guys are so sad. I told you before, I want to make a new Kanaloa, better than the crappy one you guys have!"

"Crappy? Yeah, it is. You're not the only one who wishes they came from a better town. But how do you know Archibald's gonna let you do that?" Blaine said. "For someone who wants to do whatever the hell they want, you sure are letting people use you."

"For fuck's sake, shut the hell up! Archie, let's get out of this place! We'll settle this battle later!" Roger said, storming off.

"Miss Amara, Thank you for saving me! This must be God's blessing." Karen said. "I feel like we've met before, actually."

"Karen, we're leaving for now. We need to regroup and rebuild our forces, and prepare for a counterattack. I'm warning you, people. You get in our way, there will be absolutely no mercy. The carnage you witnessed today? The future battle will be even bloodier than that." Josephine said, hissing. "Nathan, why do you stare at me that way? Have you inherited your father's wandering eye?"

"I don't think so. I'm not my father, and I'll never go with you. Neither would the other me. So get lost!" Nathan yelled.

"Fine. Josephine, expect no mercy from me next time. I won't allow Roger to be swayed by such illogical banter!" Archibald said, and they all left.

"They're not going to stop, are they? If this keeps up, everyone in the city's going to die!" Aimee whimpered, gazing at the wreckage around her. The sight of the bloody corpses was terrifying to behold, and she shut her eyes, trying to hide her tears.

"Aimee, that's not going to happen. I'm here now! I can help stop them!" Zao said, smiling again. "Let's get out of here, okay? You shouldn't have to see this!"

"Zao...thank you. You haven't changed at all." Aimee said, weakly smiling.

"What are you talking about? Me getting taller doesn't count?!"

_Farawell_

Everyone was tired now, and after Kyle promised he would research where the next battle would be, they went home.

"We still didn't save Karen and Roger. How are we gonna do that?" Serena asked. "If only there was an FAQ I could read."

"Hell if I know. We'll just have to break up the fight and knock some sense into them!" Blaine said.

"Well, it's not the most thorough strategy, but I like it. Everyone, get some rest. We don't know when the battle will start, so we need to be prepared." Nathan said. Everyone went home, but Zao hesitated.

"Zao?"

"You know how me and Karl used to hang out all the time as kids, right? Aimee loved playing with us, too. We used to fight over who got to look after her. Now she's fighting monsters, and today, she saw people die right in front of her." Zao said.

"Would you rather not join us?" Amara asked. "I'd understand."

"No, I have to keep going! I don't want her to suffer anymore. For Karl's sake. I'm going to help her in his place!" Zao said.

"Zao…you're so kind. I'll help you too. I'm still the personal trainer, right?" Amara said.

"Of course! I need to get some sleep...see you soon, babe." Zao said. Before he left, he gave Amara a quick kiss.

Amara smiled as Zao left, but was surprised to see him running back. "What's wrong?"

"I dropped my wallet!" Zao said, pointing to the leather wallet by Amara's feet.


	34. Chapter 34: Cursed Lands

**Chapter 34: Cursed Lands**

_Aeternus Meeting Room, Thursday_

It was time for yet another meeting between the Ater Vox. The atmsophere was tense, and no one really looking at each other.

"Josephine, Archibald, do you realise that your recent antics have cost us four hundred and fifty two lives?" Pierre said, slamming documents on his desk. "Two hundred and thirteen on the Freedom League side, and two hundred and thirty nine on the Angelic Vanguard side. Not only that, many segments in the power tunnels between Saragel and Farawell were damaged! And we still don't have the Divine Spark, making this entirely pointless!"

"Don't get upset with me. Josephine's the one who began this little game. I merely rose to the challenge. Not that there _is_ much of a challenge." Archibald said. "Roger has proven rather bloodthirsty. It would seem he would stoop to any length to achieve a world of total chaos."

"Karen simply needs to put more faith in me! I'll rebuild the ranks of the Vanguard, and prepare a more defensive strategy." Josephine said. "You poor, grotesque old fool, you will see just how capable I am!"

"This is tiresome." Carlos said. "You guys do know that completing the Eternal Road is this organization's ultimate goal, yes? Then why do you two have to squabble over it? It'll benefit us all in the end!"

"Oh, Carlos, you're not entertained? Personally, I'm enjoying watching the shenanigans. Especially the Amara from the other world fretting over Miss Karen." Nihane said, smirking. "It's at least more captivating than another story of failure from Nina."

"Nihane, I said I was sorry! If I could have fought my sister alone -"

"You still would have come up with an excuse to lose." Nihane said, chuckling. "Well then, if that's out of the way, I have news to impart. I have a rough estimate of where the next Divine Spark is!"

"Whoa, really?! Where?" Pierre asked, excited.

"Settle down, Pierre! It is in Takanawa. Unlike Farawell's, the location in that spot has changed over the years. In ancient history, a foolish man tried to build a castle in Takanawa, to build a 'thousand year kingdom'. Needless to say, that kingdom didn't even make a year, due to his rather totalitarian regime. Far inferior to ours, of course." Nihane said, laughing to himself.

"Nihane, are you implying that the university is the location of the Divine Spark?" Archibald said.

"No, I just felt like we could all bond over a history lesson. Of _course _that's what I'm saying!" Nihane said, sighing. "Ever since that university shut down, a fair amount of Shadows used to dwell there. Yet lately, they're disappearing. We detected similar activity in Farawell Cathedral."

"Well then, Archibald, we shall finally test our Last Soldier's full strength there. Friday night, Karen will prevail over Roger!" Josephine yelled.

"That's about as likely as you removing all your cellulite." Archibald said, amused. Josephine shook her fist with rage, whilst Archibald simply stared at her pitifully.

"Nihane, what should the rest of us do?" Nina asked.

"Nina, Carlos, and Pierre should check the other districts for activity, in the event another Divine Spark comes into being. Archibald and Josephine shall be at the University Friday, as will I. I won't let those rebels interfere." Nihane said, with a crazed smile. "If they think they can defeat me, they're horribly mistaken. And the Divine Sparks will not be stopped!"

_Real People Offices, Friday_

"What's wrong, Amara?" Stella asked. "Aren't you happy? Roger and Karen are finally together again, and the article on the mall should give it even more exposure and increase our popularity as well!"

"I know, I should be happy. It's just, tomorrow night, Zao and I are going bowling." Amara said.

"Oh? Those bowling shoes _are_ uncomfortable. You do get your normal shoes back afterwards, though. It's just uncomfortable until you do." Stella said. "Or is it something else?"

"Zao invited Karl." Amara said. "You know...my ex boyfriend."

"I see. You haven't told me much about him, other than him being possessive. Were you fond of him?" Stella asked, looking into Amara's eyes.

"Of course I was! In my art case, there's a picture of me and him when we went to some charity dance ball. His entire soccer club went that night." Amara pulled out the picture of her and Karl, showing it to Stella. Amara had her hair done, and was wearing a little black dress. Karl had a very smart black suit, and the two of them had genuine smiles, arms around each other. "It was a wonderful night, but after that, things got way out of hand. I had to end it, and I did."

"Okay, then why didn't you just tell Zao you don't want Karl there?" Stella asked. "I'm sure Zao would understand. He can see his childhood friend anytime!"

"I suppose, but I thought Zao would get upset if I said no. Damn, it's going to be so awkward!" Amara said.

"Fine, then I'll go with you. If Zao can bring a friend along, so can you!" Stella said, smiling.

"Well, Go on then!" Amara said, smiling too. "You can use your power to tell me the best way to throw the ball!"

"That's cheating!" Stella said. "Besides, then I'd do the same moves!"

"Less chatting, girls!" Lucy said, busy writing notes.

"Alright, alright!" Amara said, sighing. "I wonder how Karen and Roger will get on tonight?"

_Solar Ray Mall, by the Fountain_

Serena was on her phone looking at Kyle's Facebook page, where he had uploaded many pictures of France from his mobile. His mother thought it would be funny to put a fake moustache on him, and a beret. He put on a smile, but Serena just knew he wanted to curl up in a hole and die. "Oh, Kyle..."

"Yo!" Blaine said, walking over. No longer in uniform, he seemed pretty happy to be done with work for today. "What's new?"

"Not much! I was just shopping around. Kyle's having a great time in France. Good food, good sights, and lots of art galleries!" Serena said, smiling.

"Sounds good. How are your parents doing?" Blaine asked.

"Why do you ask?" Serena said, frowning.

"No reason. I've just been thinking lately." Blaine said.

"You sure it's healthy for you to do that?" Serena said, giggling.

"Hey, I'm the one who helped you with your homework!" Blaine pouted. "Seriously, though, it sucks about your parents."

"Tell me about it. Ever since they told me, I just can't talk to them. I come home from school, go upstairs...go to bed, wake up, go downstairs and go to school...I can't even look at them." Serena said, shaking her head. "Why can't my parents be cool? Like you?"

"Me? Cool?" Blaine said, surprised. "Well, I can't argue with that. But you're stuck with them, for now. I'm still your 'Cousin', remember?"

"Oh yeah! Anyway, you're out tonight with Lucy, right? I heard she's really bossy when it comes to her work." Serena said.

"Yeah, but I like a girl who speaks her mind. It helps that she's hot, too!" Blaine said, and the two of them laughed. "Don't get me wrong, that's not the only reason I like her."

"I know, I know. We're still going to the other world tonight, right?" Serena said. "Looks like you'll have to end your evening early!"

"Tell me about it! I'll have to come up with an excuse to go home. Maybe I'll say Dan's having a midlife crisis and needs me to comfort him. He'd kill me if I said that, of course!" Blaine said. "Anyway, since we're here, shall we look around?"

"Okay! Lead the way, cousin!" Serena said, and the two of them walked around the huge shopping complex for the rest of the afternoon.

_Albion Incorporated, Nathan's Office_

Another day at Albion Incorporated, and the business was ticking over as usual. Apparently, Joe Kowalski arrived early today, but in a rather melancholic state. The rumour was that he had gotten into a fight with his girlfriend, and it wasn't just a small tiff over the TV remote. Nathan didn't let it bother him, and simply ignored the whole matter. Joe seemed to be staring at him, for some reason, but Nathan paid him no heed.

"Hey Nathan, I was thinking. Why don't we have a barbecue this summer?" Priscilla said, as she looked over a few invoices.

"That sounds good. I love those burgers wrapped in bacon! Although I probably should watch my figure." Nathan said.

"Well, it's the summer. We should party a little!" Priscilla said. "Anyway, why don't we invite some of your new friends? I've met Amara and Serena so far, but not that Blaine person."

"Well, he's from Kanaloa, so -"

"I know! I didn't think you'd ever hang out with someone from there. Don't worry about it, I don't mind talking to someone like him." Priscilla said, smiling. "How about next week?"

"Sure!" Nathan said. "Sorry, I need to finish this report. Can we talk about it when we get home?"

"Of course." Priscilla said, and she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Try not to work yourself too hard now. Bye!"

Nathan smiled, and continued typing up the report. Anyone else would have found this monotonous, but for him he enjoyed normality when he could get it. Of course, his idea of normality had nothing in common with someone like Blaine's, who as far as he could tell went out drinking or driving his motorbike every night. At least it wasn't both at once.

Suddenly, he felt a strange compulsion...a compulsion to search something. It was like someone was telling him to do it, but without a voice or even a command. He put aside the report, and clicked on the search engine bar.

"Why am I doing this now?" Nathan asked. The letters came out of nowhere - ANJCPE. He had no idea why he would type such a random string of letters, but here he was. They had no meaning to him whatever, and after he had typed it, he didn't feel any other strange urges. Perhaps it was one of the cloaked people... The web search results yielded nothing useful at all. Yet, Nathan knew the initials had to mean something to whoever gave him the impulse to search for those letters. So he clicked on the image results, and the first image that came up made it all clear. A photograph of six people, in lab coats, but some of them were familiar.

"No way!" The image was hosted on a once-popular hosting service, but it was the only one posted on that account. It was the Ater Vox - including the two Nathan hadn't met yet, Pierre and Carlos. Josephine was there, but she didn't have any of the malice Nathan had seen. Neither did Archibald. Nina had her arm around him, smiling away, and then there was Nihane.

Nihane Kronos had the biggest smile of all. He looked like the youngest person there, around the same age as Amara. Yet his eyes were blue, and they were filled with an innocent happiness.

"So this is them before they discovered Shadows?" Nathan said. Taking out his memory stick, he saved the image onto it. The others would probably find it interesting to see. Yet, it didn't seem to provide any pratical use at all.

"Wait, ANJCPE... Archibald, Nina, Josephine, Pierre, Carlos. Then who is 'E'?" Nathan noticed E wasn't near N on a standard keyboard layout, so it couldn't have been a typo. Even so, Nihane was hardly a normal first name. So was Nihane Kronos an alias? What was his real name? Nothing on the image's page hinted at it. Nathan resumed writing the report, even if the normality was lost from the moment.

_Silver Web_

The Silver Web was a somewhat trendy bar in Farawell, and thus Blaine had never been there before. He preferred places with a more natural atmosphere, without any post-modern artwork or chairs that defied the laws of gravity. Yet, Lucy wanted to come here, so he decided he might as well come along.

"This place is weird..." Blaine said, looking at all the metallic spiders on the ceiling.

"Relax, would ya? They're not real!" Lucy said.

"C'mon, do I really look like the guy who's afraid of spider?" Blaine said, flexing his arms. "A tough old bastard like me can handle anything!"

"Sure you can. Just stop doing that. This place is better than The Mole, don't you think?"

"Sure is! More expensive, though." Blaine said. Lucy pouted, and Blaine laughed. "Kidding, kidding! I don't mind. You look pretty tonight."

"Thanks! Colette was going on about what to wear tonight, but I just ignored her. Come on, let's have a seat!"

So the two of them sat down by a strange fountain-like decoration, with colour-changing lights. "It's kind of hypnotic, looking at that thing."

"Yeah, I guess. Anyway, things are going great with Roger and Karen, I hear!" Lucy said, and Blaine gulped. Sure, they might be getting on okay in this world, but in the other dimension, they were preparing to kill each other. "You alright?"

"Oh? Uh, I'm fine! Just been working all week. It's good to enjoy the weekend with the cutest girl in the city!" Blaine said, winking.

"I love it when you say that." Lucy said, blushing. "You're not planning to get me drunk so you can have your way with me, are you?"

"Ha, no! Dan will still be home, and a guy in his thirties sleeping on the couch doesn't really add to a romantic atmosphere!" Blaine said. "Speaking of him…I need to go home early tonight. We're having a guy come over in the morning to check the washing machine, and he'll be at work!" At least it was better than the mid-life crisis story.

"Aww, you're no fun!" Lucy said. Blaine did a fake pout, and could only hold it for a few seconds before the two of them laughed. "Okay, I'll let you off this time! But next weekend, you better take me somewhere nice, or I'll put girly stickers on your motorcycle!"

"Now there's a death threat right there!" Blaine said, laughing again. "Alright, I will. I can't say no to you…"

"You talk like that with all the women, don't you? ...It's nice to hear you say that, though." Lucy said, grinning. "Come here, sweetie…" Lucy quickly reached over and kissed Blaine.

"Looks like I still have that charm, huh?" Blaine said, face red.

"You certainly do! If we only have a few hours, let's make them memorable!" Lucy said. And so, the evening went on, as they kept staring into each other's eyes. Blaine couldn't remember being this happy with another girl…if only he could cancel tonight. Hopefully next week, nothing big would be going on, and he and Lucy could have some real fun!

_Secret Base_

"Hello, everyone-do I smell alcohol?" Aimee said, disapprovingly.

"I was out with my girl tonight! Gimme a break!" Blaine said. "Wish I didn't have to leave so early."

"Well, you could bring her here!" Zao said.

"No fucking way! You crazy?" Blaine yelled. "Just for that, I'm going to get serious about the weights around your ankles."

"Please, not that!" Zao said, shuddering.

"Everyone, I'm sorry to interrupt the shenanigans, but can I show you something?" Nathan said, taking out his flash drive. Kyle nodded, and Nathan opened up the image.

"Holy crap! That's the Ater Vox?!" Serena said, staring at the image. "Nina!"

"Here's the thing. I don't know why, but something in my mind told me to search for ANJCPE. Archibald, Nina, Josephine, Carlos and Pierre, yes? But why isn't it ANJCPN?" Nathan said.

"Weird. Does that mean Nihane isn't his real name? It _is_ kind of a fucked up name." Dan said, confused.

"So is Zao, but no one bats an eyelid at that." Blaine said.

"_Hey_!" Zao said. "If you ignore the fact that they're our enemies, it's a really nice photo. They looked really happy back then. I wonder what happened?"

"We shall tell you."

Amara gasped as the cloaked people appeared before them.

"We know exactly what happened all that time ago." The cloaked man said, and then, they removed their cloaks.

"No way!" Blaine shouted.

"Nina?!" Serena gasped. Beneath the cloaks...were Archibald and Nina. Not the ones they had encountered before. They were different, somehow.

"What's going on here? Is this a trap?!" Kyle yelled.

"No, it isn't. Let me explain. Me, Nina and the others met at Aeternus twelve years ago. I had an idea for a project, and needed five people to assist me. So I enlisted the others, and we became fast friends." Archibald said. "One year later, one of us found something unusual - the Shadows. From that moment, we became obsessed with them. We devoted ourselves to creating technology to extract them from their location, and eventually developed them into a power source."

"One of the first things we created was the NDD, which allowed us to move between two points. This wasn't enough - by this point, our own selfish desires had completely overwhelmed us. I even forgot about my sister..." Nina said, shaking her head.

"We used the convention to begin our next step - to amass even more Shadow power. The one who calls himself Nihane said the 'Eternal Road' would do this, and change the nature of the planet itself. Yet to do this, we had to seal the entire city from the rest of the world and create a land of Shadows. In this dimension, our plans continued unhindered!" Archibald said.

"In the other, however, something happened. Me and Archibald suddenly became free of the Shadow's influence. And…we had to do something to stop the city's decline." Nina said. Her voice got more and more quiet as she spoke.

"Hold on - the explosion?!" Amara shouted.

"Correct. The self-destruct mechanism was the only way we could think of to stop the plan. We tried to get people to escape the building, but there were many casualties." Archibald said, looking at Aimee.

"Oh my god!" Aimee said. "In either world, it's all your fault!"

"That's right. We're the sinners who led this city to ruin - and even in the city that remained intact, many innocent people died. Yet, there were still things left to do." Archibald said.

"We knew we had to send Amara, Serena, Nathan and Blaine into this world. Honestly, I'm not sure why, other than it must be done. We did the opposite for the other Amara and Nathan, too." Nina said, deep in thought.

"You seem to know what's going on. Just what is the deal with you guys?" Kyle asked.

"I don't know. All I understand is, we seem to able to predict the future, as if we already lived through it. That's how Nina knew about the battle between the Vanguard and the League on Wednesday, and I knew about that little broadcast." Archibald said. "And tonight, the next battle is at the Tachibana University in Takanawa."

"Wait a second. Could the next Divine Spark be there?" Priscilla asked, suddenly horrified.

"Yes, that is definitely the case. The outcome, I'm not sure, but you have to go and stop it. If you can't, you must at least save Roger and Karen!" Nina said. "We cannot - we don't have Personas."

"How do we know we can trust you?" Blaine asked, glaring at Archibald.

"I apologise. Our actions brought great calamity to the city, and we can't do a thing to reverse it. If I had known any of this would happen, I never would have approached that young man..." Archibald said. "I have to go. There's something I need to investigate. Hurry, now!"

"Wait a second! Nina, if you were alive all this time, why didn't you come home?!" Serena shouted.

"I can't return there. Not after what I've done. I saw my other self attack you, and that is my fault. I no longer belong there." Nina said, staring sadly at Serena. "Please, go. Good luck." With that, the two of them disappeared.

"Serena, you okay?" Blaine asked.

"No!" Serena snapped. "She's not the same Nina! If she had just come home, my parents wouldn't have kept going on about her! I...forget it. We have to go, now!"

"Wait, they didn't look any older than they did in that photograph. And they can teleport. They say they don't have Personas, but they're clearly using some sort of power. But what?" Nathan thought out loud. "Never mind, it's too confusing. Let's assume they're right for now."

"Hold on." Kyle said, looking up Tachibana University. "That school shut down years ago, so no one's been inside since. There's no strategic advantage to fighting in that location, unless..."

"Unless?" Aimee said.

"Unless it's the next Divine Spark! They're probably fighting to see who gets to activate it first!" Kyle shouted. "Oh god, we're running out of time!"

"Then we have to go _now_!" Priscilla screamed. "I already lost someone thanks to those things! I'm not letting anyone else die!"

"Priscilla!" Nathan said. "I'm going to help you, too. My other self would want me to!"

"Then it's settled. We're going! We're going to save Roger and Karen, no matter what!" Aimee said, standing tall. "Follow me."

_Tachibana University, Takanawa_

Tachibana was one of the many fine institutions of Takanawa students studied all year to get into. In the spring, the beautiful cherry blossoms outside brought a lot of tourists to it's grounds. They once considered changing their name to Hayasaka, but most people opposed the name change. In this world, the building had not been maintained for many years, and thus the walls were dirty and the gardens were overgrown.

"What an eyesore..." Nathan said, aghast at the courtyard.

"Bianca would have a fit if she saw this place!" Amara said. _Bianca, I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I won't screw up this time!_

"We're not going to get attacked by octopus demons, are we?" Dan said.

"No, Dan, this is not a hentai." Kyle said, rolling his eyes. "Although I do have some on my comp- uh, never mind!"

"I didn't think Kyle liked that sort of thing!" Amara said, amused. "Anyway, everyone must be inside. Let's go!"

"What's hentai?" Zao asked. "Is it food?"

"I'm kinda interested myself..." Blaine said.

_University, Entrance_

Lying around the dusty entrance were a number of unconscious Vanguard members. "They're still alive!" Aimee said, relieved.

"Wait. I don't see any signs of fighting. It's like they just passed out! Is it gas?!" Nathan shouted. "Everyone, be careful! Personas might not be able to protect us from it!"

"Sir Nathan, there is something worse than gas that can make them unconscious. A vast amount of Shadow energy is slowly building up. Just like the Cathedral! Those with artificial Personas will find that their power wanes, then they will lose their conciousness." Seraphina said.

"Seriously? Then where are Roger and Karen?" Serena asked. "We don't have to search the entire place, do we?"

"If we have to, we will!" Priscilla said. No longer tearful, she had a fierce determination in her eyes. "Seraphina, I thought finding Nathan was my only goal in this world. But deep down, I want to save this city too! I don't have time to mope around anymore. I'm truly sorry. I'll fight as much as it takes, from now on!"

"Priscilla." Seraphina said. "Let us put the past behind us. Tonight, we save others from a tragic fate! And they are in Lecture Hall A24! Onward, we go!" Running past many unconscious Vanguard and League members, the team approached the Lecture Hall.

_Lecture Hall A24_

"Holy crap!" Amara shouted.

Karen and Roger were there, swinging their weapons at each other, whilst their Personas constantly cast magic spells.

"Wave Rage!" Roger hollered, as the crushing waves struck Karen.

"Tundra Flair!" Karen bellowed, summoning ice crystals to crush Roger.

"Stop!" Amara yelled. "Please, stop fighting!"

"You! You're all here to save me, correct?" Karen said, with a sigh of relief. "I can't find Josephine anywhere. Help me vanquish this heathen!"

"There you go again, you coward! Can't you even try to fight alone? And you wonder why I left you all those years ago!" Roger said, rolling his eyes. "Damn! Where's Archie?!"

"Guys, chill out for a second. Josephine and Archibald don't care about you at all! They just want the next Divine Spark to appear in this university!" Zao said.

"The same thing happened at the Cathedral, and that was completely destroyed! Many died, even my..." Priscilla said, unable to finish. "So if you have to fight, get out of here!"

"You fucking idiots must be really stupid! I can use the power of the Divine Spark, and make my own city. Yeah. Nothing's going to stop me! I have to be here to make it happen!" Roger said. Amara started to wonder...was the Shadow energy starting to take them over? She felt fine for now, but...

"Nice of you to drop by. I'm afraid the last Open Day was quite some time ago, so you're a little late for the grand tour." a familiar voice said.

_Nihane Kronos?! _

Sure enough, the leader of the Ater Vox emerged at the back of the room, with his typical evil grin.

"Who's this guy?" Zao asked.

"I am Nihane Kronos. Don't bother telling me your name, I doubt I'd remember it." Nihane said. "Welcome to the land of Ardwahist! Asa Vashita and Druj Vahista have finally awakened from their slumber, and shall soon pulse with life. A glorious awakening, to be sure."

"I can feel them! It is just as before, entities called Asa Vashita and Druj Vahista are communicating with me! Nihane, what on earth are they?" Seraphina asked, holding her head.

"I'm glad you asked. In ancient times, the land of Amurdad had special names for the districts of our glorious city. Farawell's was Spandarmad, and Takanawa's is Ardwahist. No one else used those names, but the people of Amurdad believed they could enslave the rest of the island with their dark arts." Nihane said, chuckling to himself. "Asa Vahista is this land's force of light, and Druj Vashita the force of darkness!"

"So this is all some kind of ancient prophecy?!" Serena shouted. "You sick freaks!"

"Ha! You're such a naïve simpleton. You're as useless as your older sister! Originally, the Eternal Road was nothing more than a 'meaningful' pilgrimage that would allow the people of the city to achieve divine revelations of some sort. A symbolic journey of the soul, perhaps. Yet this extends beyond foolish sentimental value...this is reality. As of tonight, three of the six Divine Sparks shall be complete!" Nihane said, walking calmly towards the team.

"You don't care who gets killed in the process, do you?!" Dan yelled. "My brother! Or Priscilla's partner! All just sacrifices!"

"You're smarter than you look. Yes, the immense power of a Persona expedites the process. The conflict between Karen and Roger, as well as your emotions regarding the Cathedral incident, have no doubt hastened the land of Ardwahist. Thoughts and feelings rule in this domain, can't you tell by now?" Nihane said.

"You bastard!" Amara shouted. "You're not getting away with this!"

"Is that so?" Nihane said. "Roger, Karen! Archie and Josephine are waiting for you upstairs. Go and find them, and resume your battle there!"

Roger ran off, and Karen stood there, watching. "I-"

"Karen! Don't go!" Amara yelled. Karen shook her head, and ran out. "Damn!"

"I suppose it's time to show you the error of your ways. For the crime of standing in the way of a new era of existence, you will bear witness to the unlimited power of Janus!" Nihane cackled as his Personas appeared...the male dark side, and the female light side. "Hathor's flames will be reduced to mere embers when you face me!"

"I'll never lose to you!" Amara cried, as Hathor appeared. "Nihane, prepare to die!"

"I'd rather prepare for your death. It'll come long before mine."


	35. Chapter 35: Enigma

**Chapter 35: Enigma**

"Agilao!" Amara cried, but Nihane just stood there as the flames struck him. He didn't appear hurt at all. "What?!"

"Dear, dear, dear! Can't you see? Your precious fire won't burn me!" Nihane said. "Feel free to try the rest of your elemental arsenal, though!"

Nathan attempted Garula, but this had just as little effect. Blaine and Serena used their Zionga and Aques magic, but Nihane managed to shrug them off. "Um...Seraphina?"

"I...I can't do t! I'm so sorry! Hecate cannot pierce through the veil of darkness shrouding his Persona!" Seraphina said.

"How cute. Yet, you seem to forget that _I'm_ the one in control here." Nihane said, holding up his sword. "This must be so infuriating to watch, right? Let's make this battle much more fascinating! Bufudyne!"

_BufuDYNE?! _Just as Amara feared, a terrifyingly powerful ice blast struck her, and she fell to the ground instantly. Her body shivered with the cold, and pain pulsed throughout her body. "Urgh..."

"So none of you have advanced to Dyne magic yet? So sad!" Nihane said. "You're next, Commander! Aquadyne!" This was power Amara had never seen before. Blaine was utterly defeated by the blast of water, and with it, so was any hope of victory.

"Shit. I can't do a damn thing..."

"That's right! I'm sure your other self realised that, when he fell! Now then, Agnethe Junior. Your turn! Ziodyne!" Fierce electricity blasted poor Serena. She was helpless, her screams drowned out by the roar of the lightning.

"Kyle..." Serena said, as she fell to the ground.

"Serena!" Kyle shouted. "Nihane, you bastard! How could you!?"

"Oh, you two would like to go together? Alright, mutual suicide it is! Garudyne!" An incredible tornado trapped Kyle, and hit him with full force. He fell out of his wheelchair, whimpering.

Nathan looked around at the others, but they were astonished at what they had just seen. None of them could stand against the incredible power Nihane wielded. "Well, if no one's going to volunteer, I might as well select someone! Nathan, try this! Magnadyne!" A violent volley of stones toppled Nathan over, the pain so severe he couldn't even let out a sound.

One by one, the others were defeated with just one spell from Nihane. The last to fall were Aimee, who was conquered by a Zandyne spell, and Zao, who was quickly dispatched by a swing of Male Janus' scythe.

"ARGH!" Zao crashed into the wall. He didn't want to admit it, but he was powerless before Nihane. "Amara, Aimee, I'm sorry..."

Nihane burst out laughing, his cruel laughter echoing throughout the lecture room. "See what happens when you challenge me? Your precious teamwork and friendship wasn't good enough! Now you can join the others who failed, and become part of the new world."

"No..." Amara tried to say, but could only whisper. Her entire body was aching - she couldn't feel her legs, even. "Dad...Mom..."

"Oh, so you think of your loved ones in your last mortal moments? Wonderful! Let me show you something!" Nihane took something out of his pocket - a golden ankh necklace, the exact same one as Amara had. "Your other self must have dropped this at some point! I think it'll make a nice trophy, hmm?"

"Don't...touch it..."

"Don't waste your energy talking. The final curtain falls, Amara. The world was always going to change, and there was nothing you and your friends could do. An alternate reality holds no threat to us, either. Now then, let's see how this looks on me!" Nihane took the necklace, and put it around his neck. His twisted delight was cut short, however, when he suddenly clutched his head in pain. "Huh?!"

"What's going on?" Nathan asked. Amara felt a strange sense of pity, for the man who had just effortlessly defeated her and her comrades. _This is messed up! He's got a guilty conscience? Now?_

"No...that's not...my name is Nihane...Kronos! ARGH!" Nihane collapsed, shaking, holding his head in agony. Amara, her pain fading, crawled over to him. "Get...get away...my name is not...I am no longer...STOP! I said STOP?!" _What the hell is this?_

Amara looked at Nihane, still shaking and screaming. He kept muttering something, but all Amara could make out was 'Nihane'. At one point his mouth moved, but all Amara heard was some strange white noise. She did not intend to do so, yet she reached out and touched Nihane's head. This caused him to open his eyes and look at her. The arrogant, evil orange eyes were gone, and sorrowful deep blue eyes were there, but they were starting to fade back to orange.

"It's okay." Amara suddenly said. _What? Why am I saying that to him? _Just then, she saw Nihane stand up, and disappear. Soon, all she could see was a white light, and she heard something landing on the ground.

_Empty Space  
_

After what felt like an eternity of floating in a white light, Amara finally saw things flash quickly by her eyes. It was like a slideshow that was set to an insane speed. The images were too fast to make out, and she almost felt dizzy. Yet, she couldn't feel anything. She couldn't even see her own body.

_What's going on? Why am I seeing this? _Amara couldn't see any of the others around. She was in a canteen for some kind of organisation, where a number of employees were sitting down, eating lunch. It seemed a bit more formal Just then, one man came in the area. It was Archibald Ebert, wearing a white coat and black pants.

_Him? _Archibald walked straight past her, and instead of ordering food, he walked over to a table where one young man was sitting. He was wearing a much plainer outfit consisting of a white and red t-shirt with a black cross over it, and black trousers, but it was Nihane Kronos.

"Oh, there you are. I've been looking for you! Aren't you eating with anyone else?" Archibald said.

"N-No." Nihane said, shaking his head. "Mister Ebert, correct?"

"Yes, but there's no need to be so formal. Call me Archie." Archibald said. "You're the new kid I've been hearing about! Looks like you've put a lot of effort into your first week. I'm impressed."

"It's nothing noteworthy. You could do what I do in your sleep." Nihane said, focusing on eating.

"Don't put yourself down so much, lad. I'm serious. May I sit here?" Nihane simply nodded, and Archibald sat down. "Now then, %&$*#". _What the hell was that? _Archibald must have said Nihane's real name, but it came out as a horrifying distorted noise. _Can anyone else see this? Serena? Nathan? Blaine? Zao? Someone, help me!_

"Yes?"

"Lately, I've been planning a top secret project. It's something far beyond the scope of our day to day activities here. However, I can't do it all by myself. So, ^%$&*, I'd like to offer you a place on my team." Archibald said, with a gentle look in his eyes. _Why can't I hear his real name?_

"Me? Work with you? But I'm still new -"

"That doesn't matter. I think this would be good for you. I've seen the way you isolate yourself. Being alone isn't any fun, is it? Trust me, working with me and anyone else willing will do you wonders." Archibald said. "Well?"

"Um...alright then." Nihane said, and they shook hands. "When do we start?"

"Oh, I'll let you know about that. I've got a good feeling about this project's success. However, this will have to remain secret for now. Do you understand?" Archibald said. Nihane nodded, with a very small smile on his pale face.

Amara suddenly realised - she was in Nihane's memory. And this shy, quiet young man would become her enemy.

Just then, the area started to turn white again.

_Lecture Hall A24_

"What just happened?!" Amara shouted, as she saw the lecture hall again. Nihane was gone, and he left her other self's Ankh behind. Quickly, she grabbed it and put it in her pocket.

"Amara! Thank god you're alright!" Zao said, dashing over and hugging her. "You totally zoned out, and you didn't say anything!"

"I'm sorry, Zao. I'll be alright now. Where did Nihane go?" Amara asked.

"Weirdest thing. He was screaming, holding his head in pain, and then he just vanished. What a wimp, he couldn't finish what he started!" Dan said, adjusting his cap. "Damn, that was painful!"

"It looks like we're safe for now, but the Divine Spark's still coming." Priscilla said, with a sense of panic in her voice.

"I never imagined Nihane would be so powerful." Aimee said. "Hold on." Irene appeared, and restored everyone to full health. "Dan, could you help Kyle?"

"Sure thing!" Dan helped Kyle back into his wheelchair, much to the latter's embarrassment.

"I feel like such a kid..." Kyle said. "Thanks though."

"Oh yes, I remember now. Karen and Roger went upstairs to find Archibald and Josephine!" Aimee suddenly said.

"Oh crap!" Amara said, alarmed. "Seraphina, do you know what floor they're on?"

"The rooftop garden area." Seraphina said. "We must make haste. The Divine Spark will begin very soon!"

_Normal World, Roger's House_

After a wonderful evening, Roger escorted Karen to his home. It was in Amber Road, a suburban area of Nova Albion known for it's large sprawling houses and a popular tennis court. The whole time they were walking, they were holding hands - just like they did fourteen years ago.

"Wow!" Karen said, as they entered the grand house. No corners were cut in the furnishing of this place, especially the lovely mural by the stairwell. "You weren't kidding, this place is huge!"

"I know. It's lonely, coming home after a long day at work, with no one else here. Usually I just fall asleep the minute I lie down! Still, at least I have enough room for my DVD collection!" Roger said. "There's one I think you'll really like. Shall we?"

"You just try stopping me!" Karen said. Later, the two of them were in the lounge, ready to watch one of the many DVDs Roger had collected over the years. Most of them were classic movies, live recordings of plays, operas, etc. "So which one are we going look at?"

"This!" Roger said, holding up one titled 'Solar Ray'. "You remember this one, right? It was your birthday, and I wanted to surprise you, so I saved up for those tickets!"

"Roger, is this why you named the mall 'Solar Ray'?" Karen asked.

"That's right. That night was one of the best we ever shared together, and it was such a fantastic performance. Remember, Raymond and Claudette meet under the setting sun after he comes back from war, fourteen years after he left?" Roger said, gazing fondly into Karen's eyes.

"Sounds just like us." Karen said. She moved closed to Roger on the large sofa, and held his hand. "Except you'd need to lose some weight to fight in a war!" Roger laughed, as Karen tickled his stomach. "It shouldn't have taken us so long. I just didn't think you'd be happy with me."

"Believe me, I am. Come on, let's enjoy tonight - it was worth waiting for." Roger said. "And this is just puppy fat! Seriously!" As they watched the film, they sat as close as they could. Karen never wanted to be apart from Roger again...

"Roger, there's still so much I want to say -"

"It's alright. Just relax. We've got all the time we need now."

_Rooftop Garden, Tachibana University_

The garden area was the most scenic of Tachibana's campus, with beautiful views of the area as well as some amazing flowers. There were plenty of statues around, all of them famous alumni from Tachibana's past. In the centre of the garden was a model of some ancient castle, which used to stand where Tachibana was today. The sky was cloudy, and there was a gentle breeze.

"There they are!" Serena pointed to the far end of the garden. Karen and Roger were fighting each other with sheer force, striking with all the ice or water power they could muster. Josephine was watching from one side, and Archibald was from the other.

"Now, Roger. Finish her, quickly! Use the Hamaon technique you've learned!" Archibald shouted. Roger nodded, and Kanaloa used the powerful light expel technique to send Karen to the ground.

"I did it!" Roger wheezed, exhausted. "Archie, was that good enough for ya?"

"It certainly was. Now then, the Divine Spark will commence. But if you want to bring the fourth one closer, you must murder Karen. Her emotions will fuel the new world!" Archibald said, grinning evilly. "It's a shame you lost again, Josephine, but you can just sit back and watch me complete the Eternal Road!"

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that. Emotions are present in the living and the dead, after all." Josephine said. Just then, she summoned Cybele, and her ominous healing energy revived Karen.

"Josephine..." Karen said, holding her chest. "Ugh..."

"Perfect. Roger, feel free to kill this woman. She's useless now!" Josephine said, chuckling. "That is what you wanted, right?"

"Very clever, Josephine. Karen lives for one more moment, to see the man she once loved end her life. Those final moments will surely provide enough trauma to fuel the next Divine Spark." Archibald applauded, whilst Roger suddenly looked horrified. Josephine, pleased with herself, kicked Karen. "What's wrong, Roger? This is what you wanted! Cut all ties with your worthless past, and build a new future with me! One where there is no one to control you!"

"I..." Roger looked at his katars, and gulped. Before, he had been fighting Karen with a rather violent streak. Now, he hesitated. "Is this the only way?"

"Of course!" Josephine said. "Karen, you were amusing. There really is something _fabulous_ about toying with such a fragile ego. It was exhilarating, the way you believed in me, but now it's over!"

Karen couldn't say a word. She just stared at Roger, with absolute fear. She opened her mouth, but only a feeble gasp came out.

"Do it, Roger! You're wasting my precious time!" Archibald said.

Roger suddenly glared at his weapons, and let out a piercing scream that could be heard for miles.

"Whoa!" Blaine said, startled.

Archibald, bewildered, didn't manage to avoid the furious medley of attacks.

"You _bastard_!" Roger screamed. Archibald finally leapt backward, and the blue gems on his gloves suddenly started to glow. Archibald somehow made energy bursts shoot out from them, but Roger narrowly avoided them.

"What's the matter, Mr Martin? First you want to kill her, now you want to save her?" Archibald said. "You indecisive cretin. Clearly, I was wrong about you. You're not worth my time at all."

"Shut your mouth! I never should have listened to you!" Roger shouted. "Karen, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry for everything! I never should have left you all those years ago! I never should have turned my Persona on you!" Amara gasped. "It took me a long time to realise it, but I did miss you."

"Roger, do you really mean that!?" Karen asked, standing up.

"Of course!" Roger said. He smiled at her, although weakly. "It's hard to be strong in this world, I know, but you can't rely on that woman! Karen, come with me. I'll help you find your own strength, I promise!"

Karen gasped, and soon she had a warm, genuine smile on her face. "Roger, it was easier for me to rely on others, even before this happened. But doing what's easy won't get us anywhere. Roger, I love you!"

"It was worth waiting all this time, just to hear those words again. I love you too!" Roger said, and he ran over to Karen. The two of them embraced, all traces of hatred gone. "We should have just fought together from the start. But it's never too late!"

"How touching. In that case, Archibald, aid me! Neither of you will survive!" Josephine said furiously.

"Gladly. Poor pitiful Roger, deluded by the folly of love!" Archibald said, shaking his head. "If you aren't going to release yourself from burden, I will." Thor emerged, and began gathering immense power in his canon. The canon started to be surrounded by sparks, and it fired...

"Ha! Goodbye, Karen - what?!" The canon blast caused a huge blast of light, but when it faded, Karen was still standing. "No!" Roger stood in front of her, and then fell over.

"Oh crap! Hang on!" Aimee ran over to a badly injured Roger and a very distressed Karen. "Give me a second! Mediarama!" Irene's healing light restored them to health, much to Karen's relief. "Are you crazy? You could have been killed!"

"I don't care. As long as Karen's okay." Roger said, smiling. "Just like the end of _Divine Mercy_, remember? Lord Gregory takes the arrow to protect his wife Lady Amelia!"

"To the knee?" Serena asked.

"No, idiot, it was his chest." Roger said. _I guess her references fly over his head..._

"That was the first play we saw together. Roger...please don't do that again!" Karen said, her eyes watering.

"Man, that was cool!" Zao cheered.

"Enough!" Archibald said. "It makes no difference now. The third Divine Spark approaches. You bunch of fools could never prevent it!"

"Precisely! Nor can we simply let you walk free. Eleven worthy sacrifices, and Mr Yuria, of course." Josephine said. "Now you will understand just who you are dealing with!" Just then, Nihane appeared in front of them. "Nihane! What's going on?!"

"I can't have the two of you fight here. Not on this stage. Come back to headquarters, now!" Nihane said, looking more serious than usual. "It won't matter if this rabble die today, or later! They'll be drawn to the next Divine Spark anyway. They just can't get their nose out of trouble!" With that, Nihane vanished.

Josephine and Archibald concentrated, and out of immense darkness came a powerful Shadow - a tremendously large book. This unholy tome was black, with blood red pages, and it had a strange red mask on the spine. "Behold, the Demonic Compendium!"

"Holy crap!" Aimee shouted.

"Perhaps this is goodbye." Archibald said. "Roger, if by chance you survive, I will have no mercy on you. Your dream of a new Kanaloa will never come to fruition!"

"That doesn't matter! I just want Karen!" Roger said. Archibald sighed, and he and Josephine vanished.

"Oh no, I just remembered! There's tons of Ornatu Legion members in this building! I'll need some help in getting them to safety!" Aimee said. "Priscilla, Dan, Kyle, Seraphina and Zao, give me a hand!"

"Sure thing!" Zao clapped, expecting a laugh. Aimee gave him a death glare, and he shuddered. "Okay, okay, I'm coming. Amara, be careful! We're gonna survive this!" Zao said, waving.

"I know! Take care!" Amara said. "Let's end this quickly. Karen, you're one of us now!"

"Thank you." Karen said. "Roger, I'll do my best! With or without God!" The Demonic Compendium, which had a strange demon symbol on the cover opened, and two smaller Shadows come from the dark pages. They were odd floating wigs with the same mask as the larger book, with a small book floating in a globe above them. One of them cast Tarukaja on the Demonic Compendium, and the other cast Matarunda on everyone.

"Damn, I feel kind of weak." Amara said. Not willing to give up already, she violently struck one of the Books with her sword, then sent forth an Agilao. "Tarukaja!" This spell cancelled out Tarunda, yet did not add any benefit.

"Guess we have to figure out what works ourselves, huh? Fine! Violent Medley!" Tlaloc unleashed yet another barrage of attacks with his hammer, finishing with one almighty strike. One of the Books was defeated, yet the other was acting strangely.

The Demonic Compendium bashed Karen with it's body, sending her into a crumbling statue. "Karen!" Roger cried.

"I'm okay!" Karen said. "Bufula!" The second Book became encased in ice, and Serena quickly struck it with her whip. Nathan finished it off with a Garula attack. The Demonic Compendium's pages fluttered, and a whirlwind of it's pages hit everyone.

"Ow!" Nathan shouted. "I think I just got a paper cut!"

"Seriously?" Blaine said, groaning. "Whatever. Zionga!" A bolt of lightning hit the Compendium, who then cast a Poisma spell on Serena.

"Uh oh! Posumudi!" Serena yelled, curing the poison condition. "Aques!" Water struck the Shadow, and then Roger used his Wave Rage move, adding to the torrential attacks. "Not bad, geezer!"

The Demonic Compendium seemed agitated, and two more Shadows came out of it's pages. This time, they were strange weighing scales, with a mask that had a cross emblem on it. One of then cast Rakukaja on the Compendium, and the other cast Marakukaja on it's enemies.

"This is gonna take a while." Blaine said, firing at one of the Scales. However, his bullet was reflected - thankfully, the power of Persona made his body bullet proof. "Oww!"

"I've seen those Scale things before. You can't attack them with your weapons. Let me try this!" Karen said, casting Mabufula on them. It worked, but the Compendium's higher defence reduced the damage a bit.

"Damn, we're hardly hurting it, and we hardly have any time!" Nathan shouted. "Come, hurt it as much as you can! Zephyr Aria!" Once again, Setanta gallantly commanded a wind of an enchanting melody, which was powerful, but Silence did not stick.

The Demonic Compendium then used a Power Charge, which resulted in some panic. "Oh no…the next hit is going to really hurt!" Karen said. "Take this!" She tried slashing one of the Scales with her sword, but then she realised something. "Josephine told me I could use this spell, but I never had a use for it until now! Tetrakarn!"

The Compendium, ignoring Aeshma casting a barrier on the team, followed through with a Blade of Fury attack - but every attack was reflected back. The Compendium collapsed, but one of the Scales managed to help it recover with a Re Patra spell. "What the heck?" Serena said. "Are we fighting on Very Hard mode?"

"Ruby Ignition!" Amara called out, the shining flames empowering her. This time, the Tarukaja effect took hold. "Alright! How about this? Sundial!" Hathor's staff changed into a sword again, and this time, the sword was glowing bright. Hathor swung it many times, striking the Compendium many a time.

The Compendium, shaking with anger, unleashed a strange wave of energy that sunk into everyone. "Huh?" Amara felt weirdly exhausted, even though she hadn't expended that much energy. "Agilao!" As the flames hit the book, she felt a lot of her energy fading. "I feel weird..."

"Damn, it's that weird Anima Freeze attack. It drains your energy really fast! Come on, girly, heal us!" Roger said. The Compendium bashed him a bit, but he was reluctant to fight back.

"God, why do I have to do all the healing around here? Fine..." Serena said, Artemis ready to go. "Energy Shower!" A soothing shower of light took away the debilitating effect. "It'd help if one of you had healing spells too!"

"Someone's cranky today! Time of the month, I guess." Blaine said. Everyone got back to fighting the Compendium, and eventually defeated the two Scales. The cursed text attempted to summon more Shadows, but couldn't, for some reason.

"Did it run out of magic power or something?" Serena asked. "Wow, that's kind of lame."

"No, look at it's pages!" Roger said, as the Compendium opened again. "We damaged the pages with the Shadow illustrations. It can't summon anymore, but it thinks it still can. That's quite a bad AI glitch."

"Then this battle just got easier! Go, Setanta! Impale him now!" Setanta leapt into the air, striking a rather dramatic pose, and jabbed the Demonic Compendium with his spear.

"Allow me! Dekaja!" Aeshma, twirling her golden mirror in her hand, managed to dispel the stat increases the Shadow had given itself. The Compendium still attempted to summon more minions, but nothing but stagnant air came out of it.

"Let's hurry up and kill this damn thing!" Blaine said. "I'm gonna see Lucy again, and no Shadow's gonna stop me!" _Wow. I didn't realise he liked Lucy that much..._

Roger used Kanaloa to attack the Compendium with his trident. Instead of attacking, the Compendium still insisted on summoning support. Nothing happened-it had ceased to be a threat.

"Okay, time for another one of our combo attacks!" Amara said. "Ready?"

"Hell yeah! Here we go!" Blaine yelled, and Hathor, Artemis, Setanta and Tlaloc rose into the air, preparing their assault.

Searing flames struck the Demonic Record, then a tremendous bolt of lightning hit it. The Shadow was desperately trying to recover, but the next few attacks were too much. A wave of divine water crashed into it, then a brilliant gale of wind hit it. "**Solution IV**!" A final golden burst of energy, in the shape of the Roman numeral IV, finished the book off. The pages flew out and vanished, and the rest dissolved into an eerie black liquid.

"Okay, since we won, we need a good book pun to wrap things up." Blaine said. "How about...this book is overdue?"

"No way! How about 'We sure sent a shiver down it's spine'?" Serena said, giggling.

"This is torture." Nathan said. "Absolute _torture_."

"You know how librarians stamp books, right? We could say "You forgot to put a stamp on it!" and kill it with a huge stomp!" Amara said. "Huh? Huh?" No one laughed. "Aww, come on!"

"I think you've been spending too much time with Zao." Nathan said, bemused.

"You four certainly seem to have fun together." Karen said. "Amara, just how did you meet these people?"

"That's a long story." Amara said, dismissing Hathor. "It all started the day I started working for you. Some guy in a black cloak told me to follow him, and...I don't know why, but I did. So I ended up in here, and met Nathan and Serena. Blaine showed up a few days later, and…things just kept going from there!"

"The others are coming back, right?" Roger said. "I doubt we can run fast enough to get away from this Divine Spark thing!"

"Just be patient." Nathan said. "I believe in them. Priscilla's strong enough to do what's right."

_Tachibana University, Ground Floor_

"Everyone is on the ground floor. They didn't manage to progress any further." Seraphina said. "There's over two hundred people here, and we have half an hour!"

"That's not enough time!" Zao said. "We'd better get our asses moving!"

"Not so fast." It was the other Archibald, and the other Nina was with him. "Aimee, your Traesto spell isn't strong enough to take all of these people outside, and if your destination is that base, you will never fit all of them there."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Aimee shouted. "We have to save them!"

"I agree. Listen to me carefully. We can do it. We don't have Personas, but we have some power in this world. The after effects of experimenting with Shadows, perhaps. Bring as many people as you can to the main entrance, and me and Nina will take them to the Legarte Harbour." Archibald said.

"Do it, now! We weren't able to do anything a fornight ago. This is the only way we can make up for our mistakes!" Nina said. Priscilla nodded, and ran off.

"Man, carrying all those people is going to be murder on my back!" Dan said, dashing off as well. With a lot of running back and forth, the team finally had four hundred unconscious Ornatu Legion members in the entrance.

"Well done, everyone. Now just sit back and watch." Nina and Archibald chanted, and they used a Traesto spell - but on a far grander scale than Aimee's. She watched in envy as all the young soldiers disappeared. "They should be alright now." Nina said. "Your friends have defeated the Shadow, but the Divine Spark begins soon - " The ground started shaking, and cracks appeared in the ground and walls.

"Whoa!" Zao said. Archibald and Nina abruptly disappeared. "Those guys are weird, huh? At least they're on our side!"

"Less chatting! Get back to the roof!" Dan yelled, and the six of them ran (or in Kyle's case, flew up on his wheelchair) all the way back to the roof.

_Roof Garden_

"Thank god, I wasn't sure if you were going to make it!" Nathan said, as Priscilla came up to him.

"It's alright, we won this time. We'll live to see another day." Priscilla said, smiling.

"This is it! Let's go!" Aimee said, as purple auras started to shroud the entire area. Before she could cast Traesto, however, something else did. "What? Not those guys again!" Everyone was teleported…just outside the campus.

_Takanawa_

The incredible amount of energy rushing up from the ground, the building falling apart...it all happened so fast. Eventually, the ground stopped shaking, but Amara knew this wasn't the end. A black and purple aurora, just like before, burst from the ground. It enveloped the entire University area, making horrifying hissing sounds. Then, there was nothing but a dark crater.

"Just like before." Nathan said, in awe. "I'm just glad no one died."

"Yes. Archibald and Nina helped us." Aimee said, looking at Serena. "Your sister isn't so bad after all, it seems. We have to thank her later."

"Maybe." Serena said, frowning.

"I kept my promise." Priscilla said.

"Huh?" Nathan asked.

"Oh...when we were on our way here, I made a promise to Nathan. I wouldn't let anyone else get killed, no matter how hard it would be." Then, Priscilla turned to Seraphina. "Don't tell me if I'll keep that promise. I want to see for myself."

"Lady Priscilla...you've grown stronger. If you ever feel lonely, come to my room. With some tea, of course." Seraphina said, smiling.

"Everyone, thank you for coming. If you hadn't, we would have died." Karen said. "I can't go back to Saragel now, can I?"

"Yeah, and if I head back to that place in Farawell I'll get my ass handed to me. I need to think about what to do next." Roger said.

"Wait, why don't you come to our base? It's not very big, though." Aimee said.

"Well, we'll stay there for tonight. Is that okay, Roger?" Karen asked.

"As long as you're with me, I could go anywhere." Roger said. The two of them held hands, smiling together.

"Well then, let's party!" Zao said, punching the air. "In celebration of a happy couple not getting killed!"

"Zao, you would celebrate **anything**! But that's what I like about you!" Amara said, playfully tickling Zao.

"Party, huh? I'm kinda tired. I could use a drink, though. I've only had four tonight." Blaine said.

"Four drinks in two hours? Wow!" Nathan said, amazed. "I'm looking forward to this England trip now!"

_Secret Base_

Roger and Karen went to bed, tired from tonight's showdown. Priscilla offered them her room, leaving her to sleep on the couch.

"So Amara, what happened to you earlier? Nihane was having a seizure or something, then you touched him and he vanished, then you went all silent!" Blaine said.

"Well, I think I saw one of his memories. It must have been about twelve years ago. Nihane was by himself, eating in the cafeteria, and Archibald came up to him. He wanted Nihane's help on some top secret project." Amara said. "Now that I think of it, when Nihane said yes, I felt happy for some reason..."

"I have a feeling that your mother's keepsake had something to do with it. Remember, he would have killed us all had he not put it on." Seraphina said. "Even I have no idea what happened. Did you catch his real name?"

"No - that's the weirdest part! Whenever Archibald said Nihane's name, all I could hear was some kind of noise. When Nihane was having that breakdown, or whatever, I could have sworn I heard the same noise, and his eyes were blue!" Amara said. "And I wanted to tell him things would be okay. I don't know why! I hate him. Everything that's happened is HIS fault! The other me, my father, the Holy Cross, everything!" Amara clenched her fists, angry…how could she feel sympathy for Nihane? Sure, she might have felt sorry for the man she saw in that memory, but...

"There's too many things we don't know about this. Don't stress yourself out…" Dan said. "It could always be a trap. Maybe he never intended to kill us at all."

"Nihane Kronos...all we have to go on is one letter. E." Aimee said. "There are so many names beginning with E, though! Ethan, Edward, Edmond, Elijah..."

"Yeah, we get the picture!" Amara said. "Aeternus folded ages ago, so we can't look through their records anymore."

"Even if we could, we don't have a sensible reason." Nathan said, shaking his head. "Don't worry about Nihane. He's our enemy.! We have to get strong enough to face him!"

"You're right. It's just going to keep bothering me, I can tell." Amara said. "I need to get some sleep. Goodnight, everyone."

_Amara's Apartment_

Amara took a long time to get to sleep. Many things were on her mind. Mundane troubles like bowling tomorrow night with Karl and Zao, then more serious things. Roger and Karen, Nihane's real name…and the Divine Sparks. The idea of them all coming alive terrified her. The power each of them had was unlike anything a Persona could achieve. If all six of them were activated, what would happen to that world? ...Or this one?

Checking her phone messages, the only ones of note were Colette talking about her 'omg gorgeous new shoes! 3', Michelle (a friend from college) asking how her new job was going, her father asking if she was coming home on Sunday, and something about claiming compensation for her 'accident'.

"God, life outside fighting Shadows is boring." Amara said to herself. Hopefully she could ease up on going to the other world, though. After replying to her father and her college friend, she went to bed, with a vision of a long and entertaining summer ahead.


	36. Chapter 36: Grand Strike

_Disaster was averted this time, but all is not over._

_Yet, even in absolute chaos, humans strive to live._

_As long as they have something to live for, something to hope for…_

_They can bear the pain of life._

_After all, he who has a 'why' to live can bear any 'how'._

_And even if one loses a 'why', one can always find a new one._

_That is why I will never abandon humanity, for deep down,_

_They will never abandon living._

**Chapter 36: Grand Strike**

_Dan and Blaine's House_

"Oh…morning." Dan said, as Blaine came downstairs. "Another evening with the lovely Miss Crossman?"

"Yeah!" Blaine said. Dan just shrugged, and went back to reading his newspaper. Some article about budget cuts, which Blaine knew Dan had virtually no interest in. "So, got any plans for tonight?"

"No, not really." Dan said. Blaine was a little surprised - Dan didn't often get like this. Was he jealous? Dan hadn't been on the dating scene at all for two years, and none of their neighbours were exactly eye candy.

"Come on, man! We could go to The Mole, or something!" Blaine said.

"I don't feel like it." Dan said.

"What, you're saying no to beer? What's bugging ya?" Blaine asked.

"Nothing. Go hang out with Lucy or something." Dan said. "I'm working all day, anyway."

"Fine, whatever. No need to get cranky!" Blaine said, leaving the house. Maybe Dan was just being gloomy about Matthew again, but whatever, he wasn't going to let that get him down. After helping to save Karen and Roger last night, he felt pretty good about himself.

"I feel this good about helping others? I've turned into a right goody-two-shoes!"

_Lucy and Shirley's Apartment_

"It's 8:30 and you're playing the piano already?!" Lucy asked, still in her pajamas, as Shirley started playing an enchanting, mysterious tune.

"Of course! I must hone my skills!" Shirley said. "Anyway, I was expecting you to be home later last night. What happened?"

"Um, Blaine said something about some guy coming over to check the washing machine." Lucy said.

"Oh well, there's always next time. Hey, I had the weirdest dream last night. I was in this really grimy bar, playing the piano, and tons of guys were hassling me, and I felt like crying!" Shirley said.

"Why would a bar like that have a piano?" Lucy asked.

"Hell if I know. Anyway, this guy starts beating up this dude who was bothering me, and he tries to talk to me. He seemed nice enough, but I just ignored him. What do you think it means?" Shirley asked.

"Maybe you're secretly into girls?" Lucy asked.

"Lucy!" Shirley said, laughing. "No, that's not it at all! Thing is, I remember the song I was playing. The one I learned when we first met!"

"Oh? I forgot how it went. Play it to me!" Lucy asked. Shirley began playing, and for a while, Lucy felt like an eleven year old again. The girl who never wanted to leave, always be with Shirley. A decade later, and here she was again.

"Well, since it's a Saturday, I'm going shopping! Stereotypical girl behaviour incoming!" Lucy said. "What are you gonna do today?"

"I have to go to the Richmond's this afternoon. They still think their daughter can play the piano, even though she thought Beethoven was a vegetable!" Shirley said, shaking her head. "Still, they always pay me extra so I can't complain!"

"Yeah, true." Lucy said. As she went to get breakfast, she couldn't help but wonder. What did Blaine do most nights? She knew he liked driving his motorcycle around, but something told it that wasn't it…

_Nathan and Priscilla's House_

Priscilla had just left the house for some groceries, so Nathan was all by himself. Lying down just made him think about last night…and Josephine. He still had no proof that what she said was true, but he couldn't leave things like this. Perhaps looking through the old photo albums his father gave him would help.

Nathan started looking through the oldest one he could find - and he smiled. The sight of him as a newborn baby, in his mother's arms and next to his proud father, warmed his heart. The rest of the photos were of him as a young boy, before he ever met Priscilla or thought about working for his father. Even then, he was a brave boy…he always went down the longest slide at the park, when kids older than him hesitated.

When he got to the end of the album - photos from his 10th birthday, where his father gave him a small suit that matched his own - he saw a folded piece of paper. "What's this?" Nathan asked. Concerned, he opened it, and read it…

**Dear Reginald,**

**I'm having a grand time in Palermo. Thank you for the gift - I bought you something special! It's been wonderful with my sister and her children. My nieces are so full of life, and their father is a perfect gentlemen. Rather like you!**

**I've acquired a healthy glow, or at least what my sister thinks is one. You always said I could use some colour in my face, so when I come back, you better notice the difference! **

**Normally, I'd just write a postcard, but for you I wanted to do something special. So I'm writing you a letter. I haven't written a letter since my darling Arthur died, actually. It's quite emotional. My sister's wondering what I'm crying about. If she knew I was in love with a married man, she would kill me!**

**Yes, I said it. I love you, Reginald. I know you said it's not the right time to go public with it, but please think about it. You and me can be very happy together, and your son would understand eventually. He's not a child, he'd come to terms with it. And even if he didn't, don't worry. Do what you feel. That's what I'm doing.**

**Remember when I left for my flight, you kissed me as if it were for the last time? You'd think I was never coming back! Don't worry, I will be there by your side once again. You've become the reason I get out of bed in the morning, after all!**

**With all my love, Josephine**

"Oh god. No!" Nathan screamed. "Dad, why?! Why this woman?" He read and reread the letter, hoping this was all some kind of mistake. Yet, it wasn't. Josephine really did have an affair. With his own father.

Nathan knew he had to confront his father - after all, the Josephine in this world died a decade ago. The other Josephine could not be trusted, either. He was about to call his father when he hesitated. For the first time he could remember, he was scared. What if his father never spoke to him again?

As he put the phone down, Nathan felt sick. Both for reading that letter, and for not having the guts to demand the truth from his dad. "Why…why her?!"

"I'm home!" Priscilla said, coming in with her bags. "What are you to?"

"Oh, just looking at some old photos!" Nathan said, quickly hiding the letter in his pocket. "Need a hand?"

"Sure! Thanks darling!" Priscilla said, smiling. "Oh yes, you are still going to ask your friends about that barbecue, right?"

"Definitely. Come on, let's see what you bought this time. There better not be any nougat!" Nathan said, with a weary smile. As he and Priscilla were in the kitchen, he felt more and more angry. How could his father betray his wife, and his son?

Nathan decided he would never make the same mistake. He would be Priscilla's, and only Priscilla's, for as long as he could.

_Serena's House_

"Uh huh. Whatever. Bye." Serena said, hanging up. Her parents were apparently having a great time, but she honestly couldn't care less. They probably were glad to be away from her. Well, good for them. Serena could do whatever she pleased until they came home. Even then, they probably wouldn't care, even if she ran a drug cartel.

She opened the curtains in the living room, and looked around. Lately, she'd been expecting Nina to show up. She was still alive, after all. Yet instead of coming home, she was busy in the other world trying to correct her own mistakes.

"Why…why didn't you tell me?" Serena said to herself. "If you had, then maybe I wouldn't have been so mad. I might have understood. But…" Her whole family kept this terrible secret from her, ever since she was born. Was she really just an afterthought?

"Yeah, I know. I'm the geeky girl with her head in the clouds. I couldn't be as smart as you." Serena said. "But…"

Just then, the phone rang. "WHAT?!" Serena screamed down the receiver.

"Holy Fusroda, what's the matter?" It was Kyle. "Careful, you nearly burst my eardrum!"

"Oh! I'm sorry, I thought it was my parents calling again! How are you?" Serena said.

"Great! We're at the airport, on our way home! I got you something fun…you'll love it, trust me!" Kyle said, cheerfully. "Crap, the flight's delayed!"

"Oh? That sucks!" Serena said. "Well, at least we have time to spare!"

"Yeah, but these calls are so expensive! My mom keeps glaring at me! Anyway, you'll never guess what we saw yesterday. One of those street performers who looked like they were levitating! I still can't figure out how he did that!" Kyle said. Serena soon forgot all about her parents and Nina as she listened to Kyle, laughing at his mishap with the beret and the duck.

_Crystal Palace Bowling Park_

Amara arrived at the bowling park rather later. Zao was waiting for her, pretending to be asleep. Stella was there too. She was very amused, the way she was grinning at Zao's fake snoring.

"Knock it off! I'm not that late!"

"Zzz…twenty minutes…zzz…"

"Yeah, well, it takes a while to get ready for a night out!" Amara said, pouting. "So where's Karl?"

"Oh, he went to reserve us an alley. Tonight there's some special deal for two teams to go against each other. That means we'll have to use teamwork!" Stella said. "We must combine our skills and utterly destroy our enemies!"

"You scare me." Amara said.

"Stella gave me a reading!" Zao said. "She said that tonight, I will help bring two distant souls closer together! You know that that means, right?"

"Zao-"

"That's right! I'm going to stand closer to you!" Zao said, standing as close to Amara as possible. "Ha! The look on your face…"

Amara cracked up, and Stella giggled too.

"I didn't think Zao would be so carefree." Stella said.

"It's why I love him! So how was the speed dating?" Amara asked.

"I ended up not going. It just wasn't my sort of thing! Another night with Colette, and I'd need a bottle of scotch to get through it!" Stella said. "Then a bottle of vodka to put up with Sheila. Lord knows how many men were told to piss off. Oh wait, I know. _All_ of them!" Stella said, disdainfully.

"I'm not surprised! Even Lucy's more bearable than her! Oh, what did you think of Karl?" Amara asked.

"He's nice enough. He wasn't much like Zao. I could tell he was a kind man, but he still bears the scars of the past." Stella said.

"Ha! All we need to do is get some band-aids!" Zao said. "Oh, here he comes! Karl, she's _finally_ here!" Karl walked back outside, and Amara looked away. She used to love it when they met, but now it was just so awkward. Karl was as handsome as ever, and Amara hated herself for thinking that. She had Zao now. She knew she and Karl were finished with. Even so, it was hard to forget how happy they were together.

"Let me guess, she couldn't decide whether to wear the black top or the red one?" Karl said, grinning.

"H-Hey! I just have a lot of old clothes, that's all! It takes forever to sort through them all!" Amara said.

"I'll say! You've got more dirty clothes lying around than the team's locker room." Karl said. "Anyway, I went and got us an alley. You know we're playing as a team, right?"

"Don't worry, guys. Karl knows how to lead his team to victory! We can't lose! Who are we even playing, anyway?" Zao said.

"Just wait and see! Come on!" Karl said, running inside.

"This is why I invited him! When it's a sport of any kind, Karl fights to the bitter end!" Zao said, and he and the others followed. Inside, the guys had to change into the bowling shoes, much to Amara's displeasure. The only pair that was her size were too tight, and a rather garish red.

"Ngh! These don't fit right!" Stella said. "I knew they wouldn't, but -"

"Wow, these are the ones that glow in the dark! Awesome!" Zao said.

"At least he's happy!" Amara said. "Come on, who are we playing?"

"These guys!" Karl said, as four people walked over. It was the Holy Cross! This was the first time Amara had seen them all together in her own world. It was so strange seeing them in casual clothing, without any weapons. In this dimension, the Holy Cross were just four friends who despite their differences, loved hanging out with each other. Just like Amara and the others she had met since June.

"So how do you know these people?" Stella asked.

"Richard's on the team, too, and he was taking his buddies here!" Karl said.

"Against their will! He begged, it was pathetic!" Kazuya said.

"Oh, come on, it'll be much more fun than that karaoke night last week!" Richard said.

"Just because someone almost died doesn't make it a bad night!" Kazuya retorted.

"Just ignore those two. Nice to see you again!" Alastair said, looking at Amara and Stella.

"You know these two?" Richard asked.

"Oh, we work at the same publishing company, but they're at a different magazine." Alastair said.

"Oh! Which is the one that turned you down?" Bianca asked. "If you had just bought some flowers from me, it might have worked!"

"Bianca!" Alastair said. "It doesn't matter now. Anyway, we should introduce ourselves. I'm Alastair! This is Bianca, that's Kazuya, and you know Richard!"

"Yeah! Ever since I joined the team, no opposition can survive our cunning and skill!" Richard said, and he and Karl high fived.

"Well, then I'm Amara. Bianca, remember I bought those flowers from you weeks ago?" Amara said.

"Oh yes, I think I do! Did they go down well?" Bianca asked.

"Yes, my father loved them! You know, one of the things I enjoy painting - and there are a lot - is flowers!" Amara said. Bianca smiled, and the two began discussing various flowers.

Karl and Alastair stared each other down. "So, you're the team leader?" Karl said.

"That's right! And we'll never lose!" Alastair said.

"Don't be so sure! A true sportsman never quits. Right, guys? We, the - wait, we don't even have a team name!" Karl said.

"Oh! Well, then how about the **Motus Rebels**?" Stella said. "We stand against all our opponents, crushing them with fatal strikes!"

"Can't be that fatal if it takes more than one!" Zao said. Stella glared at him. "But I like it! What about you guys?"

"We're calling ourselves the Holy Cross!" Richard said. "Sounds cool, right?" So Amara would once again face the Holy Cross. Thankfully, no one was likely to die tonight. Although Karl did have a rather competitive streak.

"Precisely. Enough talk. Let's prepare for battle!" Bianca said, and the teams went to their lanes.

"You guys are really getting into this!" Amara said. "You sure we can win?"

"Hey, I know we can! I've been here before many times, and my average is usually 180!" Karl said, smiling. "But even if we lose, as long as we play our best, we can go home proud."

"Ever the sportsman, huh?" Zao said. "Stella, you know who's going to win, right?"

"Indeed I do. I won't tell, of course." Stella said, with a sly grin. "All I can say is that this is going to be fun!"

_Aeternus Headquarters_

"So what happened yesterday, Nihane? You nearly destroyed those fools, but then you just let them get away!" Nina said. "Are you alright?"

"Quit worrying about me! I'm fine for the moment, but something very unusual happened. My memory is a little fuzzy, but I was taunting that Amara woman about her other self's necklace. That's where things get a little hazy."

"Archie, you have any ideas?" Carlos asked. "Cause if this happens again, we could be in trouble!"

"I can only speculate, but it's quite possible that both Amaras had a strong emotional attachment to that necklace. Thanks to the power of Shadows and Persona, it may be that those feelings manifested to harm Nihane and allow them to escape." Archibald said.

"I see. Let's put aside that matter for now, and review the Eternal Road situation. A decade ago, Kanaloa was destroyed and thus we built the headquarters there. A fortnight ago, the cathedral is disintegrated, and yesterday Tachibana University was ruined. Thus, we are halfway through." Pierre said.

"Yet, we have no means of knowing when the fourth one will come to pass. Saragel, Legarte & Nova Albion are the three districts left to choose from." Josephine said. "Should we follow the same strategy as before and hunt for new Persona users?"

"Actually, no." Nihane said. "Look what has happened with all the Persona users we've come across! The Holy Cross realise the truth and try to kill us, Roger decides he loves Karen after all, our Commander tries to fight back...do we really need more warriors that will dissent and join with the enemy?"

"Good point. Still, we need a plan, otherwise it could take even longer for the next Divine Spark." Carlos said.

"Then how about this? We keep an eye on where our rebel friends go, and play with their emotions. For example, Nina, you can easily anger your little sister. It's about the only thing you can do well, too!" Nihane said.

"Alright, I will!" Nina said, proud. "I won't let you down, Nihane!"

"It looks like I was wrong! You're also good at empty promises! Moving on. Pierre, you immolated Kyle McHale's mother. The poor little mite is surely aching for the change for revenge. I suggest you play that to your advantage." Nihane said.

"As you wish! Besides, that brat managed to hack into our files! it's about time he learned to respect our privacy." Pierre said.

"Josephine, you can easily get on Nathan's nerves. I trust you'll do this at any opportunity, even without my permission?" Nihane said.

"Gladly!" Josephine said. "That handsome man shall become mine! My beauty will far surpass that wretched Priscilla's!"

"You really think so? That Priscilla is quite a doll, if I say so myself." Archibald said. "Now then. By ruthlessly antagonising our enemies, the Fourth Divine Spark will come?"

"Of course! Have I ever been wrong? Trust me more, old man. There's a reason why I'm in charge." Nihane said. "Dismissed. Continue your regular duties for tonight."

As everyone left, Nihane stood up and looked out the window. The meeting room was very high up, and he could see almost the entire city.

"Why did that woman get to see my memory?"

_Bowling Alley_

"Come on, come on - YES!" Zao said, as he threw the ball.

"Zao, you just threw the ball!" Stella said. Zao hadn't been doing well, and thus the Motus Rebels were rather behind the Holy Cross. Still, there was still time to make up points, but Amara had her doubts.

"Just you wait! I'll get a strike for sure - oh." Zao watched as his ball rolled into the gutter, not knocking down a single pin. "Not again! Damn."

"Not quite the pro bowler you thought you were, huh?" Amara said, giggling.

"Well, it's been so long! I keep screwing up! And I have to throw again!" Zao said. "Man, I didn't think it'd be so hard!"

"Zao, quit whining!" Karl said. "You're not focusing on the pins, which is why you keep missing. Just take your time, and aim for the centre. Imagine the ball hitting them as you throw. I know you can do this. Try again, okay?"

"Alright, I'll give it a shot!" Zao said. "Then here goes nothing! Behold, Zao's last stand!" After hesitating for a little while, Zao finally threw the ball. It seemed to roll towards the pins for an eternity, but it finally reached the pins, knocking them all down.

"YES! Well done!" Karl said, giving Zao a quick hug. "See, all you needed was a little focus!"

"Yup! Thanks, man! Stella, you're up!" Zao said. "You're still not going to tell us who'll win, are you?"

"Absolutely not! I want to keep the suspense, so stay on your toes!" Stella said.

_Later_

Both teams were on their last frame, and the scores were mostly even, thanks to Kazuya having some bad luck late on. The last players, Bianca and Zao, would decide the victor.

"Looks like it's all on me! Cool!" Zao said.

"Hey Karl, how about a bet to make things more interesting?" Richard said. "You know I've got Benjamin Gaultherias' boots, right?"

"The ones he used in the World Cup! Yeah, you showed me when I came round once. You mean, I get them if we win?" Karl said.

"_If_ you win. That depends on how lucky your fisherman friend is!" Kazuya said, smug.

"Okay! And if I win, I'll - crap, I don't have any good stuff like that."

"What about that signed photograph of the Farawell Force team from 1969?" Zao said.

"Zao, that was a secret! Fine! We'll bet over our soccer memorabilia!" Karl said. Then, he looked at Zao, with a very serious look in his eyes. "Okay, since you blabbed, you can't lose! If you do, I'll make sure you can't even fish a minnow!"

"I'm dead." Zao said, shuddering.

"Come on, Zao, you'll do fine. Remember, as long as we play our best, we can go home proud!" Amara said. _Wow, I can't believe we're getting this tense about a bowling match. _Bianca threw her last shot, and picked up a 8-2 Spare. Could Zao beat that?

Zao stepped forward, and picked the heaviest ball he could find. Karl looked worried, since the weight of the ball almost toppled Zao over. Yet, Zao endured, and threw the ball as hard as he could.

"Come on, come on!" Karl said, watching with baited breath.

"Miss, miss, miss!" Richard chanted, tense. Amara gave him the dirtiest look she could manage, and he immediately shut up.

Everyone watched, as the ball finally collided with the pins. Five of them fell down, but…the other five were wobbling, and one by one, all of them fell down.

"YES!" Zao leapt up and down. "This is the greatest moment of my life!"

"You would say that, Zao!" Amara said, chuckling. "But you've got one more throw to go! If you get another strike, we can win! And I can change shoes again!"

"What, again?" Zao said. "Uh oh. Karl will kill me if I mess up now!"

"No I won't, Zao! Eternal torture is much more enjoyable!" Karl said. Zao laughed, but Amara gulped. "Do it! Win me those boots! I'm not giving up that photo!"

"Alright. Then here we go!" Zao said, and throwing a lighter ball this time, he knocked all the pins down.

"Okay, _now_ this is the greatest moment of my life!" Zao said. "The Motus Rebels have overthrown the Holy Cross, and beat the system!"

"See? If I had told you we'd win from the start, this wouldn't have been anywhere near as exciting!" Stella said, smiling.

"Good work, everyone." Karl said. "So, Richard, you know the deal!"

"Damn. I'll give you the boots tomorrow, but at least let me look at the photo!" Richard said. "I want to see if they really do have those porno moustaches!"

"Remember when Alastair tried growing a moustache?" Bianca said. "With his hair colour, I could barely even see it!"

"Hey, that was just so I'd look more mature. If only it had worked!"

"You should try some sideburns, like mine!" Richard said. "After all, I'm the one that got the most attention at the speed dating last night!"

"You two seriously went speed dating?" Karl said. "That doesn't seem very romantic!"

"That's what I said. I dunno, none of the 'babes' were any good. There was one who told me to piss off the moment I told her what I did, so we spent five minutes just sitting there. Then the next girl spent the entire time talking about her damn pink dress with the red sequins." Alastair said, sighing. "None of them wanted to talk about food at all."

"Now I'm _really_ glad I didn't go." Stella said. Amara could just imagine Colette going on and on about her dress to every single man there, all of them dashing to get to the next woman.

"That was a lot of fun. You guys were fun to play against!" Kazuya said. "We should do this again!"

"Yes! It was nice to meet you all!" Bianca said. "You and Richard have a match on Monday, right? Good luck!"

"Thanks. You guys take care!" Karl said, and after both teams shook hands, the Holy Cross left.

"Well, that was pretty good. Some tense moments, but Zao came through for us!" Stella said.

"Yeah! So, do I get my victory kiss?" Zao said, grinning as usual. Karl looked a bit uncomfortable, but said nothing.

"Oh, you don't need to win to get one of those!" Amara said, and she gave Zao a huge kiss on the lips.

"This greatest day just got even greater!" Zao said. He looked pretty pleased with himself. "Sorry, guys, but I have to go home now. I'm going fishing with grandpa tomorrow morning…at five!"

"The early bird catches the worm! Or rather, uses the worm as bait." Karl said. "Let's call it a night, then!"

_Outside _

After yet another kiss from Amara, Zao left. Stella went home too, claiming it would be beneficial to get an early night. Thus, Amara was left alone with Karl…

She had never been more afraid. Up until now, they had been fine, just enjoying the game. Yet, she only just realised. Karl couldn't have been happy, watching his friend kiss his ex-girlfriend.

"Thanks for letting me come." Karl said. "Trust me, I wouldn't have come if you had said no. I've let you down too much before…"

"Karl, it's alright. It's just after all that happened, it's kind of strange being around you again." Amara said.

"I know." Karl said. "But after talking with Zao, I think I understand why I acted that way. Even after all this time, he's still the same. I'm happy he's with you."

"Thank you. We can do this again, right?" Amara said.

"Of course. Knowing Zao, he'll want the three of us to hang out all the time. It's so hard to say no to him!"

"I know what you mean!" Amara said. "I need to go home, myself. Don't worry, I put most of the pencils back in the case!"

"Good! Last thing you need is to trod on them again. Remember that time I did that? It was the most colourful acupuncture I'd ever seen!" Karl said, laughing. "Take care."

Amara went home, and breathed a sigh of relief. With any luck, she and Karl could just be friends, and have fun just like they did tonight. Maybe Stella would join them, too. Or perhaps Serena, Blaine, or Nathan could join in the fun? Just then, she got a text message from Zao. It was simply an ASCII rendering of a fish.

Amara went to bed smiling that night. Tonight, she didn't even think about any of the Divine Sparks or the Ater Vox, but rather how lucky she was to have Zao.


	37. Chapter 37: Tricks and Torment

**Chapter 37: Tricks and Torment**

_Secret Base_

"So you think this place will be good?" Kyle said, on the computer.

"It seems alright. I can't imagine the Ater Vox finding it." Aimee said. "It's not as nice as that place in Saragel, but it'll do."

"What do you two think?" Dan said.

"I'm fine with it! As long as me and Roger can stay there in peace, anything's fine with me!" Karen said.

"I just hope it's safe. If anyone tries to break in, I'll tear them to shreds!" Roger said. "Oh…look who we have here!"

"Howdy, guys!" Zao said. "What's new?"

"Lady Karen and Sir Roger desire to relocate to a new place, due to a lack of space in here. Since we lack the ability to expand, and they wish for their privacy, Kyle's been searching for places suitable." Seraphina said, sitting at the table.

"Yes. I had already been investigating potential basement bases in case something happened to this one, so it didn't take long. All we need to do is set up communication devices, and thus we'll be good to go." Kyle said.

"You work so hard, Kyle!" Serena said. Kyle's face went red, and Dan laughed quietly. "So what did they blame Tachibana University's destruction on? A rampage of minotaurs?" Serena asked.

"They said something about an 'unusual gathering' of Shadows. However, there hasn't been any news about the Last Soldiers. Then again, nothing about Roger was revealed to the public." Kyle said. "It's possible now they're hunting for more Persona users, but for now things are quiet."

"I'm just relieved they're okay! Hopefully, it'll take a while before the fourth one hits." Aimee said. "Are you alright, Nathan?"

"I'm fine. Come on, let's do some training. Me and Priscilla are going on a cruise next week, so I'd like to make sure I don't fall behind." Nathan said.

"So we just go running around killing Shadows tonight? Sounds good to me! Who's going with who?" Dan asked. Nathan looked surprised at Dan's eagerness, but Blaine just shrugged.

"Well, let's see. There's twelve of us, so three teams of four! I'll pick Dan, Kyle, Serena and Amara for one team, then Blaine, Zao, Karen and Roger for the other. I'll go with Priscilla, Seraphina and Nathan." Aimee said. "That fine with everyone?"

"Um, yeah!" Zao said, looking nervously at Blaine.

"You're in luck-I don't actually have any leg weights!" Blaine said.

"I don't mind fighting, as long as I'm with you!" Karen said, looking longingly at Roger.

"I'll beat any Shadow that gets in our way!" Roger said.

"Alright, I get to go with Kyle again! This is going to be great!" Serena said. "Where do you guys want to go?"

"Well, how about somewhere in Legarte?" Amara asked. "Like, by the river?"

"Okay, then let's go. We'll see you guys back later." Dan said, and the four of them left.

"Seems like it's sketchy for Karen to go to Saragel. How about we check out Takanawa?" Zao said.

"Fine with me! There's some good places there to exercise!" Blaine said, with an evil grin. Zao gulped, and the four of them left too.

"You don't often join the fray, Aimee. Are you sure you'll be alright?" Priscilla asked.

"I'll be fine! I have you guys to protect me, anyway!" Aimee said. "I'd like to see Nova Albion's Augustus Square. Shall we depart?"

"Yeah." Nathan said, and they departed via the NDD.

_Legarte, Riverside_

"Wow, this place is teeming with Shadows." Amara said. "All the more for us to kill! Right?"

"Exactly. So let's do this!" Dan yelled, and soon, the team began fighting as many Shadows as they could find. With Serena's regular healing, Kyle's strategic manoeuvres, Dan's relentless and brutal attacks, and Amara's shining flames, they were untouchable.

"You did well, Serena. I was worried when the Fanatic Tower hit you with Zionga!" Kyle said. "If only _someone _knew Elec Wall."

"Hey, those skills are boring! I go straight for the kill!" Dan said. "That was fun. There's still so many of them, though."

"Yeah! Most of them seem scared, though. I guess we're just that good!" Serena said, smug. "Hey, what's with that boat?" She pointed at a large black cruise boat, much larger than the other ones floating in the river. It did indeed have a rather lustrous sheen, too.

"Oh, the black one? Yeah, it does look a lot cleaner than the others." Kyle said. "Want to investigate?"

"Okay!" Amara said. Gently, the four of them made their way onto the boat's deck, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary there.

"None of the Shadows are here." Serena said. "Is this some kind of ghost ship?"

"I don't think so. Come on, let's go further in." Kyle said, and they opened the door that lead to the inner area.

_Nova Albion, Augustus Square_

"The last time we were here, we met the other me." Nathan said.

"Nathan…" Priscilla said.

"I'm sorry, Nathan. I just wanted to check this area out. Do you want to go somewhere else?" Aimee said.

"No way. I'm not backing down!" Nathan said.

"You have such a courageous spirit, Sir Nathan. Yet there is something that even you are too scared to face, isn't there?" Seraphina said.

"I suppose I should say it. Yesterday, I was looking through an old photo album, and I found this." Nathan said, taking out the letter from his pocket. "Listen." Having to read it's contents was terrifying. All sorts of thoughts went through Nathan's mind, including Josephine murdering Arthur just so she could steal Reginald.

"Nathan, I'm so sorry! I can't believe it's true!" Priscilla said.

"I can't either. Damn that Josephine! This is the first time I've hated someone!" Nathan said.

"Oh, my poor darling! There's no need to get so upset. Let me take care of you!" Nathan recoiled in horror, as Josephine walked out of an run-down store near the square.

"Ah, Josephine. Such an ugly sight, to see one abuse their power in such a way. Your outward beauty entrances, but inside, you are repulsive!" Seraphina said, glaring at Josephine.

"My, how poetic! But I'm not interested in either of you girls. Nathan, you handsome little thing! For you, I've put aside my rivalry with that old prick. Ditch that Priscilla of yours, forget about your world and come with me. The Eternal Road will grant us anything we want!" Josephine said.

"You shut up!" Nathan said. "Priscilla is worth a thousand of you. No, a million! Seraphina's right, you're disgusting!"

"How could you murder Reginald like that? You loved him, didn't you? And what about your precious Arthur?!" Priscilla shouted.

"Arthur?! That is a name I had forgotten. Yes, he was precious. His body perished long ago, but his emotions did not. Haha! You know what became of those emotions?" Josephine said.

"You turned him into a Shadow?!" Nathan shouted. "That's sick!"

"I didn't turn his soul into a Shadow. Alas, we aren't yet able to reach the spirits of the dead. However, his feelings for me, and mine for him…Nihane transformed those to create Cybele for me!" Josephine said. "Yes, unlike those fake Personas, the power I wield is truly my own! And Arthur supports me, now and forever!"

"That's inhuman! Arthur would be ashamed if he knew what you were doing!" Aimee said, horrified.

"I won't be lectured by you!" Josephine said. "Nathan! Your father filled a void in my heart, but with my fading beauty, I could never keep him. Your mother was beautiful, even if she was older than me. That's why I left to join Aeternus. But then I was invited to join Archibald, and…you know the rest."

"So you use the power of Shadows to always be youthful and pretty? You're nothing but a disgrace." Nathan said, clenching his fists.

"Calm down, my prince. Reginald was a fool! He deserved death for rejecting me. One Nathan is already gone, but he lost the suave charm you take from your father. You won't reject me, will you? I promise, I will not let you share the same fate as your other self!" Josephine goaded.

"Quiet already! There's no way in hell I'd ever fall for you, you wretch!" Nathan screamed. "Setanta!" His Persona emerged, eager to impale Josephine.

"Nathan! Please, calm down!" Aimee said.

"Don't panic, Lady Aimee. We shall tolerate Josephine's delusions of grandeur and reduce her grand boulders to mere pebbles." Seraphina said.

"That sounded like a breast reduction joke." Priscilla said. "Nathan, it'll be okay! I'll fight with you. Josephine, you will not have Nathan! Ever!"

"Josephine! In the name of my father, I will destroy you!"

_Takanawa, Mizutani Street_

Mizutani Street, or 'Water Valley', was a popular location in Takanawa. Known for their vast markets that sold all sorts of unusual treasures (as well as plenty of tasty delicacies, in particular takoyaki), it was a tourist trap in the normal world.

Yet, here it was just as deserted as the rest of the streets. The lovely fountain had been dry for years, and the monument in the centre of the street had toppled over long ago. Shadows were here, too, being their usual selves.

"Okay, I can do this. Let's go!" Zao said, rushing into battle.

"He's a little lacklustre, isn't he?" Roger asked.

"Yeah, but it's fun to mess with him. Don't worry, with some tough love, he'll be kicking ass in no time!" Blaine said.

"I hope so. He's able to use spells of any element. If he could reach our level, he'd be amazing." Karen said. "Zao, watch out!"

"Whoa!" Zao said, dodging the Zionga spell of a Fanatic Tower. "Thanks! Now I'll blow you away! Garu!" Slowly, Zao whittled down the Tower's health and destroyed it. "Okay, I'm getting good!"

"Well, you're better than before. But you _really_ need to train harder. You want to protect Amara, right?" Blaine asked.

"Of course! I-I'll work harder, I promise!" Zao said.

"Interesting. You people are indeed dedicated to your goals." A voice said.

"The hell was that?" Roger asked. "That wasn't Archie."

A man walked towards the four of them, with a calm expression. He had tanned skin, and piercing green eyes. His curly green hair matched the vivid hue of his eyes. He wore a rather elaborate blue coat that exposed his muscular torso, that was adorned with intimidating black stripe tattoos, and he wore hard gloves and armoured boots.

"I would think that was obvious! I am Carlos Nadal, of the Ater Vox. I'm already aware of your names. Blaine, you'll never stop trying to overthrow us, will you?"

"Of course not! No Divine Spark's going to stop me! I have to finish what the other me started!"

"Such passion! And of course, I'm familiar with Karen and Roger. Absurd, the way you fawn over each other after such violent combat. But perhaps I do not understand the folly of romance." Carlos said.

"We're through with listening to you guys. You get in our way, we'll kill you all!" Roger shouted.

"You people _are _determined. Marvellous. Now, what brings you -"

"Hey, aren't you going to ask who _I_am?!" Zao said, angry. "I'm part of this team too, you know!"

Carlos looked at Zao for a few seconds, then immediately turned to the others. "What brings you here? Preparations for your next attempt to sabotage a Divine Spark?"

"Something like that. You think you can beat us?" Blaine said, clutching his gun. "You look pretty strong. It'd be nice to have a _real_ challenge."

"My thoughts exactly. I'll take on all three of you at once!" Carlos said. "Four, if we count the seconds it takes for the blue haired _zero_ to fall."

"That's it, now I'm pissed! Guys, we're taking this loser out NOW! Rashnu!" Zao shouted, summoning his Persona.

"Go forth, **Venti**!" Carlos shouted.

With a red burst of energy, a nimble Persona emerged. Venti, a green skinned Persona, had very spiky black and green hair, and red eyes that were just as evil as Carlos'. Venti had a mask on his face, seemingly made out of bone. Like his master, Venti exposed his muscular torso, but was clad in red instead of blue. His sleeves were just as spiky as his hair, and he had a red and white flowing loincloth.

"Can't you _or_ your Persona put a shirt on? Your tattoos aren't that appealing, and the green skin looks horrible!" Karen said.

"I wasn't aware I had to conform to your aesthetic standards. Now, if you're serious about opposing us, fight me with everything you have. If you dare hold back, I will have no mercy!" Carlos said, cracking his knuckles.

"Don't worry, Karen. We'll get through this!" Roger said.

"R-Right. I'm ready." Karen said.

"Zao, don't rush in and attack. Just wait for an opening, then try and get out of his way!" Blaine said sternly.

"Right. I'll make you guys proud, just you wait! I have to be calm, and focus."

_Cruise Ship, Upper Deck_

"Nothing here at all!" Dan said. "They don't even have a pool! I thought that's what rich people did on these things? Swim, drink champagne, have lobster, dance, get hit by icebergs?"

"This **is** boring. Can't we get off now?" Serena said.

"Not yet. There's something odd about this boat." Kyle said. "I'd rather not leave until I know what it is!"

Just then, someone appeared, back turned to them. Facing the harbour, staring at the barrier surrounding the city…he was a tall, lanky man, with red hair in a bowl cut. He had a purple dress shirt, with matching shoes, and black trousers. He had a strange golden earring, resembling the 'male' symbol.

"Beautiful, isn't it? It's a dangerous world out there! Imagine the Shadows crawling through every country, ravaging every town, every city. Thanks to us, we contain the beasts within the safe confined of our land of Motus!" the man said.

"That's…" Kyle said, stunned.

"Who the **** are you?" Dan said.

"Must you be so vulgar? You're enjoying the view with me! The repugnant people of the city still don't understand the beautiful new world we will give them. The completion of the Eternal Road will grant prosperity to all! Of course, if you insist on meddling, we will have to cast you out of our new paradise!" the mysterious fellow said. Then, he turned around.

"No way! You're Pierre Leonard!" Kyle said, out of disgust and hatred.

"The same one that murdered your mother?!" Serena shouted. Amara glared at Pierre, his constant vain sneer irritating her beyond belief. Those yellow eyes were just like the rest of the Ater Vox. They were made of pure evil.

"That is indeed my name! So fabulous of you to remember me!" Pierre said, amused at Kyle's rage.

"Why the hell did you kill mom?!" Kyle screamed. "Why?! Answer me, you bastard!"

"You really want an answer? Fine. We wanted your newfound power, even if you were a ten year old cripple. So we came for you, but your stupid mother wouldn't let me take you. I don't like being told what to do, see? So I burned your house down! Nowhere for you to hide, after all! What can a boy in a wheelchair accomplish on his own?" Pierre said.

"Shut up! I know there wasn't a lot I could do for myself, but Mom always encouraged me-"

"How heartwarming! A kind woman, wasn't she? The only one who gave a damn about an invalid! So unfortunate that she got in my way. Then someone else interfered. I didn't recognise her at the time." Pierre said. "Miss Serena, your other self decided to play hero. She knew of Kyle's power, and wanted to help him. So she tried to get you and your mother away from the flames that consumed your suburban household!"

"Ugh..." Serena said, shaking her head in anger.

"So I follow…you and the girl are crying, trying to resuscitate your mother. It was too late, Kyle! She'd inhaled too much smoke! I did the kind thing, and cremated her. You should be thanking me! After that, things get hazy. I lost track of you…but now, here you are again!" Pierre said, smiling maliciously.

"What the - you're one twisted freak!" Amara said.

"Of course I am! But I still feel like reminiscing. After all, Kyle, it's been so long. Yet you're still a weak child. Without that Persona, you can't accomplish anything!" Pierre said, cackling.

"That ain't true, you piece of shit. I know Kyle way better than you do. This kid can do anything he sets his mind to. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't even be here." Dan said, holding his rifle.

"Such a beautiful friendship! To think, people with nothing in common would bond over violence and power! Isn't it wonderful?" Pierre said. "Kyle, you hate me more than anything in the world, don't you? Then go ahead! Try to kill me!"

"Hephaestus! Come forth NOW!" Kyle roared, and his Persona burst out of him. "Guys, help me!"

"Pierre, this kid saved me. You try and kill him, you're ****ing dead!" Dan shouted.

"You two..." Amara said. "I'm fighting too!"

"Kyle, I'll help too. My other self may not be here to protect you, but I am!" Serena said.

"Emerge! **Loki**!" Pierre's body was surrounded by a red burst of energy, and…

A powerful Persona emerged. A purple skinned giant male, with a long brown ponytail and a silver mask on his face, showing his fierce red eyes. Only a silver ornate loincloth covered his body, and he also had various pieces of jewellery, including a purple gem in place of his belly button.

"Let's get started!" Pierre said. "Agi!"

"Phew!" Amara said, as Pierre had been looking at her. But a powerful ice blast struck her instead. "OWW!" What the hell?!"

"Oh, I wonder what happened?" Pierre said, chortling to himself. "I suppose Loki doesn't want to obey my orders. Well then…Mudo!"

"Uh - no!" Serena yelled, as a fierce bolt of lightning hit her. Pierre hadn't even been looking at her. "That's not Mudo!"

"You're right! I just wonder what's going on! Well, it seems to be working out for me! Come on, don't give up now! Attack, attack!" Pierre taunted.

"You asshole..." Dan said, with incredible fury in his eyes. "Bloody Shriek!"

Tezcatlipoca's shadowy spell seemed to harm Pierre immensely. It had been a while since he used that move - not since he fought the Other Blaine. "Great! That's great! Keep it up! Now then, Bufu!" Pierre yelled.

"What now - shit!" A powerful wind spell struck Kyle, making him dizzy. Pierre rushed forward and slashed him many times with his twin red rapiers, but then Amara struck her with her own blade.

"You think just swinging that thing is enough to do me in?" Pierre said.

"Quiet! Agilao!" Amara yelled, and a burst of flames hit Pierre - but didn't do any damage at all. "Oh, come on!"

"Bad luck, mademoiselle!" Pierre said. "Let's keep it up! Hama!"

A powerful earth attack hit Dan, knocking him to the floor. "Son of a bitch!" He said, angry.

"Mediarama!" Serena healed everyone, but Pierre just chuckled to himself. Angry, Serena cast Aques at him, but it seemed to heal Pierre.

"You can't figure it out, can you?" Pierre said, with a malicious smirk. "No one wins with just luck, you know. Think a little!"

Amara glared at Pierre, and hit him with her sword again. _What is it with this guy? He keeps changing his element!_

_Augustus Square_

The battle with Josephine raged on, with every combatant fighting with their full power. Aimee's healing prowess helped the team endure Josephine's earth spells, but she had some potent restorative magic of her own. Yet, Nathan's constant wind attacks were wearing her down.

"Enough!" Josephine said, after being hit with yet another Garula. "I think I got just what I wanted!"

"What do you mean by that?!" Nathan shouted. "You Jezebel, I'm not done yet!"

"That's good! I love it when you're mad. It drives me crazy. We'll meet again soon. Try not to get yourself killed now!" Josephine said, and she disappeared.

"That was tough. Are you alright, Nathan?" Priscilla asked.

"No! I'll never be alright as long as she's still out there! She got her claws into my father, and she used her husband's love for her own power! I have to kill her myself!" Nathan said, breathing heavily.

"Sir Nathan, please calm down! It's rather uncharacteristic of you to get so angry." Seraphina said.

"I'm sorry. It's just...I loved my parents. I loved being an Albion. Why did my father have to choose her?"

"Nathan, he didn't! He stayed with your mother! Don't let Josephine get you so worked up!" Priscilla said. "I don't like seeing you like this at all. It makes me think you'll do something reckless and get yourself killed."

"Priscilla, I'm really sorry. I won't do anything like that." Nathan said.

"Good to hear it! Nathan, hang in there, okay?" Aimee said. "Now that she's gone, we can go and fight some Shadows. We'll meet back at the base at 9."

"Alright. I need to let off some steam, anyway. Let's go." Nathan said. Leaving the square, the team set out to vanquish more of the unholy beasts.

_Takanawa_

Carlos was just as strong as he looked. His punches hit hard, much harder than any of the people Blaine had fought in Kanaloa. It didn't help that Venti often finished off his combos with insane wind fist attacks. Zao had spent most of the fight desperately avoiding Carlos' attacks, not knowing which element would work on him and doubting he'd be any use. Ice, Water and Electric seemed to do normal damage on him, from what Zao could tell. Perhaps the other elements would work better on him.

"Skyward Dragon!" Carlos called, and Venti did an upward punching attack charged with wind. Karen was sent flying, but she managed to use a Tundra Flair spell on him.

"You fight pretty well, Carlos!" Blaine said. "But I'm not done yet! Acid Volt!" The toxic bolt of lightning from Tlaloc hit Carlos, but the poison did not affect him.

"Not bad, not bad at all!" Carlos said. "Splendid. Now, withstand this! Soaring Flash!" Venti slammed his fist into the ground, and a large amount of energy rose up beneath Roger's feet, sending him into the air.

"Oww!" Roger said, a little weary. "This guy just won't stop!"

"Now, you there." Carlos said, looking at Zao. "Are you that afraid of me? You pathetic coward! I ought to end you here and NOW! Wind Fist!" Venti dashed towards Zao, and heavily punched him in the chest with incredible wind power.

"Argh! Damn you to hell!" Zao shouted. "I've had it with you! Try THIS! Magna!" A burst of stone struck Carlos, making him fall over. "Alright, I did it!"

"Alright, leave it to us! Here we go. Zionga!" Tlaloc shocked Carlos, and then Karen hit him with her blade. Roger jumped at the chance to stab at him with his katars.

"Skyward Dragon!" Carlos had Venti punch his three assailants into the air, and then he cast Magarula. His magic was less powerful than his fists, but it was still a force to be reckoned with.

"Damn, this is taking forever." Roger said. "Die already!" Kanaloa struck Carlos with his trident, prompting Venti to retaliate with another Wind Fist.

"Getting tired? That's a pity!" Carlos said. "I can still fight! Diarama -"

Before Venti could heal Carlos, Rashnu appeared and held out his hands, and a strange energy sphere with a pink aura surrounded Carlos.

"What?!" Carlos shouted. "What the hell did you do? Venti won't heal me!?"

"I-I don't know!" Zao said. "Rashnu finally did something cool, though! Now take THIS!" Finally feeling confident, he hit Carlos with his weapon many a time, and managed to avoid the furious flurry of punches.

"About time you made yourself useful!" Blaine said, proud. Tlaloc took the opportunity to hit Carlos with his hammer. Despite the powerful Soaring Flash Carlos used next, Blaine started to feel his vigour coming back.

"So, you seal my ability to heal me?! Fine, then see what I do!" Carlos said, ready to beat Zao senseless.

"Not interested in your show! Maybe next week, if there's any seats left!" Zao said. "Come on, Rashnu, do something else cool!" Suddenly, eight spheres embodying the eight elements appeared around Rashnu, and he held up his sword.

"What trick are you trying now?" Carlos said - but the answer soon came. Rashnu's blade became super charged with power, and an incredible burst of light radiated from it, pounding Carlos with energy greater than any move the others had ever seen. "Final Fate!"

"Awesome." Zao said. He collapsed, completely exhausted. "I'm beat…"

"Most impressive!" Carlos said, kneeling on the ground. "I was curious as to how the others never managed to defeat you, and now I understand why. You are all truly warriors."

"Yeah, that's right. One day, we'll beat all of you, and bring this city back to normal!" Blaine said.

"You may indeed accomplish that." Carlos said, standing up. "To inflict so much pain of me is proof of your skill. Yet, even we are nothing before the power of Nihane. If there is a day where you defeat him, it is far off. The Eternal Road may near completion long before that day."

"What the hell does the Eternal Road even do?!" Karen asked.

"Honestly, only Nihane knows the full potential of the Road. It existed centuries ago as a mere sentimental pilgrimage throughout the island, but the bloody history of the island manifests as the Divine Sparks!" Carlos said. "Yes, the town that lived before Kanaloa met a bloody end, due to the island's prejudiced people. Seems some things don't change, right Blaine? Aren't you frustrated by your home's lack of respect?"

"Of course I am, dumbass! But it's still my home!" Blaine shouted.

"I see. You are an emotional band of warriors. That explains the power of your natural Personas! Well, each of you did quite well today. Yes, even Mr Yuria. When we meet again, I will have grown stronger, and I sincerely hope you will have done the same." Carlos disappeared, just as Blaine shot at him.

"Zao, that attack - that was the coolest move I've ever seen!" Blaine said. "I once pulled off an attack like that, too, but I've never managed to do it again."

"Well done, lad!" Karen said. "Amara will be so impressed when she hears about this!"

"Thanks, guys." Zao said. "Come on, there's plenty of other Shadows to kill here. Let's see how many we can beat before we have to go home!" Without waiting for a response, he scampered away, filled with cheer.

"I guess I won't need those ankle weights after all!" Blaine said.

_Cruise Ship_

Amara's team was not doing well. One in a while, their attacks did good damage, but most of the time their spells did nothing or worse, healed Pierre. Serena was too busy healing everyone to focus on attacking much, either.

"Honestly, you people are so simple!" Pierre said. "Aren't you noticing _anything_ yet?!"

"Don't think you're so clever. I'm got an idea of what works now!" Kyle said.

"Is that so? Try this! Magna!" As expected, the spell was not a weak earth attack, but a stronger water spell that hit Dan. "You fool -"

"Magma Sword!" Kyle screamed, and his Persona used his mighty blade to assault Pierre with intense earth power.

"Urgh! Dammit!" Pierre screamed. "You impudent child, you'll pay for that!" With a glint of madness in his eyes, Pierre rushed forward to attack Kyle again, but he blocked with his energy sword device.

"About time! Tarukaja!" Amara imbued herself with power, and hit Pierre with her sword as fast as she could. "See? I can use this thing after all!"

"Good for you, madam." Pierre said, with rage flowing through his body. "Now then…Agi!"

Amara quickly rolled away from the ice spell that appeared. "Now, Amara! Get him!" Kyle yelled. Amara nodded, and Hathor and Hephaestus both hit Pierre with the full force of their Agilao spells.

"You're a clever boy, Kyle! I can just imagine how proud your mother must be right now!" Pierre taunted, laughing. "Now let's try something else, shall we?" Pierre suddenly vanished, and four of him appeared. They all started laughing completely in sync, which was a rather disturbing sound.

"Seriously, we're doing this? Whatever! Agilao!" Amara struck the one nearest her with her flame spell, but that Pierre's body just exploded, knocking her to the ground. "OW!"

"If only you were as creative at fighting as you are with your brush." Each Pierre said. "What's the matter? Need a clue?"

"I don't think so." Kyle said. "You don't fool me. I can see right through you!" Kyle said, glaring.

"Hey Kyle, can't we just attack all at once?" Dan asked.

"No, or we'll get hit by that nasty counter blast. I think I've got it." Kyle said.

"Let's see, then! One option down, three left!" Pierre said. Kyle, filled with unspeakable hatred, had Hephaestus launch into his Searing Sequence on the middle Pierre. Amara stood up, watching in awe at the fiery blade slashing Pierre. Kyle was fighting to kill this time.

"Oww!" Pierre yelled, falling over. The other two disappeared. "I was sure you'd never figure me out! How can that cripple be so powerful?!"

"You're forgetting that I'm the one with a natural Persona, Pierre! I can see through your lies! You murdered my mother, too! I can't let you get away with that! Ever!" Kyle shouted.

"An enemy of Kyle is an enemy of mine. And I don't let my enemies get away." Dan said. "So, you want to keep going?"

"I won't be killed by any of you!" Pierre said. "Listen up, you all. When all six of the Divine Sparks are alive, the possibilities are endless. The world will truly change, and you won't be welcome!"

"What do you mean by that?" Amara asked.

"Isn't it obvious? The Road somehow changes the world! That's all Nihane tells us, but he's never wrong! I can just imagine - supreme power over reality itself! Maybe I could even erase you from existence! It'd be a death beyond death!" Pierre shouted. "Goodbye, now! Give your regards to your mother for me!"

Pierre disappeared, and Kyle slammed his fist on his wheelchair's armrest.

"I'll kill you, Pierre! Just you wait!" Kyle shouted. He had never lost his cool like this before, and that scared Amara. This kid really would kill Pierre, given the chance.

"Kyle, let's go home." Serena said. "Everyone's probably worried about us."

"Yeah. Staying here won't get anything done." Dan said, putting his hand on Kyle's shoulder.

The four of them went back to the base in silence.

_Secret Base_

"Sounds like we all had some difficult battles!" Aimee said. "I heard Carlos was a brutal enemy to defeat, and Pierre was known for his trickster strategies. You did really well to stand up to them!"

"But I didn't kill him! I still have to kill him!" Kyle shouted. "That bastard, I'll-"

"Kyle, stop it." Dan said, kneeling down next to him. "If you keep that up, they win. Those freaks just want to make us lose control."

"But, my mom-"

"Yeah, I know. I want to kill Pierre too. But you can't live only for that, or it'll destroy you." Dan said. "And I don't want that. You have to stay strong, you know?"

"I…" Kyle nodded, but Amara could tell he wasn't convinced. If she was in his position, she'd probably stop at nothing until Pierre was dead.

"Well, it might be a good time to get home." Nathan said. "I'm tired."

"Me too. Ugh, my parents are coming home soon." Serena said. "Just when the summer was getting good!"

_Farawell_

Serena and Blaine left home, but Nathan hesitated.

"What's wrong?" Amara asked.

"Oh…well, it's about that letter I found. From Josephine to my father." Nathan said. "I know I need to ask my father about this, but I'm…scared what he'll say. This is the first time I've been scared to do anything!"

"Really? You're always so brave, even when we're fighting Shadows or the Ater Vox." Amara said. "Remember when we first met, and we had just discovered our Personas?"

"Yes! Feels like a long time ago now." Nathan said. "Even then, I didn't back down. I'm the one that insisted we came back, and look where we are now!"

"Exactly. You could have done the easy thing and never come back, but you kept going in despite the danger! That's why everyone looks up to you!" Amara said.

"Really? Well…" Nathan said, happier. "I'll try to discuss it with father. I need to know how he feels."

"That's good! I just hope you don't fall out over it!" Amara said. "Tell us how it goes, alright?"

"Yeah, I will. Good night!" With that, Nathan left, and Amara went home.


	38. Chapter 38: To Become Closer

**Chapter 38: To Become Closer**

_Real People Offices, Friday 13__th__ July 2012_

After the fierce battles against Pierre, Carlos and Josephine on Sunday, Amara had been glad to get back to work this week. The team had been back to the other world several times, but other than Roger and Karen finding a second base to use (and any future members would likely go there, too), nothing notable had happened.

However, Nathan had invited Amara and Zao to a barbecue at his and Priscilla's house in Farawell. It was not going to be a particularly extravagant affair, since Nathan thought Blaine and whoever he brought along would find it easier to relax if it was more casual. Serena and him had agreed to come, and Amara assumed they were bringing Kyle and Lucy, but she had no idea who else was coming. Priscilla would be there, too.

"Tonight's going to be interesting, isn't it?" Lucy asked. "Blaine invited me to some barbecue this 'Nathan' guy he knows is having. I just hope he behaves himself."

"Of course he will. Why wouldn't he?" Amara said.

"Oh, he told me a lot about his rowdy nights out with his friends. Speaking of which, Blaine said he's bringing Dan, and I'm making Shirley tag along. You did like Shirley, yeah?" Lucy said.

"She's okay. Hmm...Stella, are you up to anything tonight?" Amara asked.

"Yes, I will come to the barbecue." Stella said, grinning. "I just knew you were going to ask me. Not because of the psychic powers, but because the set-up was so obvious."

"Great, at least there's gonna be a few people I know!" Lucy said. "Oh, and this means I get to meet the legendary Zao! We'll see if he really is as cute as you say he is!"

"If he heard you call him that, he'd have a field day. Or in his case, a harbour day." Amara said. "...Although he's at the harbour every day anyway."

"Lucy, I know you're busy but could you come to my office? There's something I want to talk to you about." Karen said, smiling. Lucy eagerly followed her, and the others wondered what was going on.

"Maybe she's getting fired?" Sheila said.

"Or perhaps they're writing an itinerary for the summer sales? I need to get some new bikinis in." Colette said.

"Sounds enticing. Need a second opinion?" Juan said.

"No way! Sheila, tell him to piss off!" Colette said.

"No, you do it this time. I can't be arsed." Sheila said, writing something about extravagant proposals.

"Um...okay. Let me see...piss...off, please?" Colette said. Juan and Colette cracked up laughing. "I can't do it! I can't sound that mean!"

Lucy came out of the office a few minutes later. She looked extremely pleased with herself, but Amara couldn't think why.

"What's new, Lucy?" Stella asked.

"Oh, it's a secret!" Lucy said. "Don't you use your powers to find out!"

"I wouldn't dream of it!" Stella said, with a coy grin.

_Aeternus Headquarters, Monitor Room_

Nina was by herself, observing energy readings in all six districts of the city. While their headquarters exhibited the highest amount of Shadow power, readings of Takanawa and Farawell had increased since the Divine Sparks. Nina had spent most of the day examining the readings, trying to spot any unusual patterns.

"Oh, there you are." Pierre said. Nina didn't respond, but she glared at him with sheer venom in her eyes. "What the hell is up with you? You've been ignoring me all week! Us Ater Vox are supposed to look out for each other...""

"Well, you shouldn't have fought Serena without me! Don't you remember Nihane's plan?! I was supposed to torment my useless sister!" Nina said. "I need to make him proud of me. All I want is for his plans to work!"

"Oh, get over yourself. At least I got to meet that Kyle boy. It's amazing how a desire for revenge can fuel a Persona." Pierre said, chuckling. "Indeed, if his anger reaches high enough levels, there will be nothing to restrain him. Now then, since you've been here for doubtless a long time, do you see any difference?"

"Not that I can tell. The values keep fluctuating. If one of those idiots goes on a Shadow killing spree, the values drop a little. It's too hard to tell if simply getting on their nerves makes a difference." Nina said. "Perhaps pinpointing locations in the remaining districts would help."

"Relax, we just have to keep doing it. If it doesn't work, Nihane will come up with a better plan." Pierre said. "Instead of wasting time by observing those values, go out and see if any of our enemies are around."

"Fine. Waiting for the Divine Sparks is so tedious, though. Once it's all over...then life will begin anew, for all of us." Nina said, and then she left.

"Begin anew...I like the sound of that." Pierre said, chuckling to himself.

_Meanwhile_

Carlos was taking a walk around the corridor, having gone through the Holy Cross' belongings. Nothing was of any particular value to him, but alas, their rooms were completely useless now. It wasn't as if they had been any good when they were alive, anyway.

"Flowers...'hanafuda' cards...soccer...recipe books...what use is this to us now?" Carlos said. "We indulged them far too much. What a waste of time! Oh well."

"Oh, _there _you are." Archibald ran up to Carlos, looking serious. "There's a problem I need your help with."

"The great Archibald Ebert, needing my help? That's unheard of!" Carlos said, smug.

"I'm aware of that, but I must resolve the situation now. Don't mock me, Carlos. A large number of Ornatu Legion soldiers were at Tachibana University last week, remember? Yet they all fell unconscious due to the rising energy of the Divine Spark." Archibald said. "They should have all died when it occurred."

"Indeed! The power of the Divine Spark is beyond comparison. Nothing of Kanaloa remained, right? Same with the cathedral and the university." Carlos said.

"Correct. However, they didn't _stay_ in the university. Someone moved them. It can't have been the Davenport girl, her power is too weak. She must have had help, but none of the rebels know Traesto." Archibald said. Carlos' eyes widened, now knowing what this had to mean. "Someone out there has the power to teleport hundreds of people at once…and they're not on our side. That's something I want to deal with right away."

"Wait, where are the soldiers now?" Carlos asked.

"They wound up somewhere in Legarte. We're working on re-initiating them now, but Josephine says it's going to take a while. You and I have to scour the city and see who used that Traesto spell, right this second." Archibald said, concerned.

"Alright. Sounds like a challenge!" Carlos said eagerly, and the two of them left headquarters. While they headed to Saragel, Carlos started to think - didn't Archibald have the ability to use Traesto? Yet there was no way he'd help save disposable soldiers. That didn't make sense. To think there was a conundrum the Ater Vox didn't have an answer for...it was unsettling. Carlos had to find that answer, and fast.

_Nathan and Priscilla's House_

Amara arrived at the house with Zao and Stella. Stella had been trying to predict the food on offer, but all she could tell was that Blaine, Dan and 'someone else' was intending to bring lots of alcohol. All Zao brought with him was his guitar, since he felt like playing a little music.

"Come on, Nathan's a cool guy! He won't mind, will he?" Zao said.

"Well, if it's just for a little while, it'll probably be okay." Amara said.

"It's strange - in the other world, my other self has known the other Priscilla for many years, but I've never met Priscilla before. Yet, I feel a strange sense of déjà vu." Stella said. "I wonder if she'll notice it too?"

"Probably not..." Amara said. She was rather impressed with the size of Nathan and Priscilla's house, which was only slightly smaller than her father's place. _I'm kind of jealous, but I couldn't ask Dad to buy me a place like this. He spends enough on the garden back home..._

After knocking on the door, Nathan showed up. It was kind of strange seeing him in a more casual red outfit, but he still had a formal air to him.

"Greetings, everybody. Glad you could make it. Come on in! Nice to see you again, Stella." Nathan said.

"The pleasure is all mine." Stella said. "I take it we're the first ones here?"

"Yeah, no one else is here yet. Priscilla's preparing the salad." Nathan said. "Between you and me, though, I'm more excited about the meat."

"The salad's good for you, so you'd better have some! Someone has to look after your figure..." Priscilla yelled. Zao chuckled, and they went through to the back garden. It was just as grand as the rest of the house, with a large dining area and gorgeous flowers meticulously arranged. _They must have one talented gardener._

"_Cooool_!" Zao said. "So many chairs! Do you always have people round, Nate?"

"Well, mostly my father or friends of ours. Not usually this many." Nathan said, pouring the women some rosé wine. "Enjoy, everyone."

"Thanks!" Amara said. "Phew, it's really hot today."

"Indeed. Must be about 21 degrees Celsius." Stella said, fanning herself with her napkin. "At least we're outside..."

"I don't mind that much. I love the summer here! My and grandpa always go to Clairdol for a fishing weekend in July. He always catches more than I do, but we still have a great time. Any of you been to that village?" Zao asked.

"No, I've never had a reason to go there. It's probably quieter than Kanaloa is, of course! Also, Blaine and Dan will be here in 16 minutes and 42 seconds." Stella said. "Trust me, I'm right on these things."

"She is, believe me!" Amara said, nodding.

"Well then, I better get ready for them. I hope Blaine behaves himself." Nathan said, going back inside. Amara, Zao and Stella sat back, enjoying the view of the garden.

"Oh, Amara, I was wondering. You didn't see it, but do remember that special move I used on Carlos?" Zao asked.

"What about it?" Amara said.

"Well, I'm just wondering how I had that kind of power. Up until then, all I had was weak elemental spells." Zao said. "But when I was fighting Carlos, I just really wanted to defeat him...and prove to the others I could fight."

"I wish I had seen it. You did a great job." Amara said, patting Zao on the back. "You'll get better, trust me!"

"Yeah! Then I'll beat Carlos for good! Asa Vashita, baby!" Zao said. Amara and Stella blinked. "What? I heard Nihane mention that thing once."

_16 minutes and 42 seconds later_

Nathan was busy setting up the barbecue when the doorbell rang - multiple times, almost in a little tune. "There they are! I'll get it." he said, walking to the door.

"Oh, I just realised! You're _the_ Stella Cleon, right?" Priscilla asked, cheerfully. _Well, it's not exactly a common name..._ "I've heard a lot about you!"

"Yes, indeed I am. I can see beyond the mundane and the ordinary. The stars promise me great wisdom and knowledge, as long as I give myself to their calling." Stella said.

"Mudane and ordinary? Don't those two mean the same thing?" Zao asked.

"Quiet, mortal!" Stella snapped.

"Fantastic! Okay then, one of the girls at work, Teresa, thinks her boyfriend is planning to propose to her. So is he? Come on, tell me!" Priscilla said. Stella blinked, and Amara giggled.

"Well, I don't normally provide my services for free, but yes. Teresa's boyfriend, Greg, will indeed propose to her at a candlelight dinner." Stella said.

"Brilliant! Okay, there's another guy at work called Joe, who is really lazy. Will he ever shape up and work harder?" Priscilla asked.

"Give me a second." Stella said, already exasperated. _This is probably the biggest test to her abilities, huh?_ Luckily, Blaine and Dan came out to the garden with Nathan, probably much to Stella's relief.

"Hey dudes! Good to see you came prepared!" Zao said.

"Well, we didn't think Nathan would have any drinks _men_ would enjoy!" Blaine said, nudging Nathan in the elbow. "I'm just kidding with ya, buddy. Anyway, Dan, this is Zao, this is Stella, and this is Amara."

"Nice to meet you guys. How do you know Blaine?" Dan asked. "He didn't tell me he knew so many cute girls!"

"Oh, it's a long story!" Stella said, with a sly smile to Amara. "Also, Serena and Kyle will be here in 3 minutes and 2 seconds."

"Ah, I remember Serena. She was the young girl we met in the department store!" Priscilla said. "So is Kyle her boyfriend?"

"Well, they say they aren't dating. It's so pbvious, though, isn't it?" Amara said, laughing. "Reminds me of when I was young."

"Twenty one isn't young anymore?" Blaine said. "If anyone shouldn't feel young here, it's us to! We've seen things you kids could only dream of!"

"And forgotten them when we wake up in the morning!" Dan said, grinning.

Amara was glad to see them as friends here, unlike the circumstances in the other world. Then she started to think. She never really had a 'best' friend. She got on well with her fellow art students, particularly Michelle, but none of them were really close to her. Zao was really special, but perhaps the people she had met through fighting Shadows were her best friends now. If only the other her had been as lucky. Still today was supposed to be fun. Amara tried to put those kind of thoughts behind her.

_Three Minutes and Two Seconds Later_

"Ah, right on cue. Stella, you're amazing! I must ask you more questions later." Priscilla said, running off to get the door.

"Dear Ishtar, _no one_ remind her!" Stella said, shuddering. "If I have to answer any other questions about her umpteen colleagues, I will scream!"

"Umpteen? That even a number?" Zao asked, confused.

"I'll get the dictionary for you later so you can check, Zao." Nathan said. "I hope Kyle can get through here alright. This is the first time anyone's come here on a wheelchair."

"Kyle was in France with his mom, right?" Amara asked. "Lucky for some."

"Yep. Well, he wasn't looking forward to it at first, but I think I managed to cheer him up a bit." Dan said. "I've seen him a few times, actually. He's a really quiet guy."

"Hey guys!" Serena said, entering the garden with Kyle. "Don't worry, Kyle, these people are nice. You'll get along fine with them."

"If you say so, Serena, but aren't we the only ones still in school?" Kyle asked.

"Don't worry about us! We don't bite...much. Come on, who's left to come?" Zao asked.

"Lucy and Shirley aren't here yet. Let me guess, Stella, you know when they're coming?" Blaine asked.

"In about -" right then, the doorbell rang. "-one second." Stella said.

"Alright! Now we can get this barbecue going. Hopefully, it won't explode this time." Nathan said. Most people laughed, but Kyle looked alarmed. "Relax! It's a joke, don't worry about it. I know how to use this thing, trust me. I tend not to use things I'm not familiar with."

"Really? Then why are you putting an entire bag of coal into it?" Blaine asked, smirking.

"I thought something was off. Damn!" Nathan said, sighing. From the look on Priscilla's face, losing concentration was something Nathan did often.

"Hey Blaine!" Lucy said, running over. She and Blaine exchanged a quick kiss, and Amara noticed Dan looked away. _Jealousy, perhaps?_ Hopefully, with this many people here, she wouldn't have to talk to Lucy too much.

"Wow, there's a lot of people here. This should be fun." Shirley said. "Hello everybody, I'm Shirley, Lucy's slave - I mean, friend!"

"Cool! Your hair's blue like mine!" Zao said, grinning. Everybody introduced themselves, although Amara already knew who Dan and Kyle were by now. It was strange seeing Kyle with shorter hair, though.

"Lucy's just as pretty as you said she was, Blaine!" Serena said.

"Thanks, Sabrina!" Lucy said.

"It's 'Serena'." Serena said, sighing. "That reminds me, I must look up that show-"

Right that second, the doorbell rang again. "Were we expecting someone else?" Nathan asked.

"No, I don't think so. I'll get it." Priscilla said, heading to the door.

"I didn't invite anyone else." Amara said. "Well, the more the merrier!"

"I'm glad you say that!" Zao said. "Because -"

"Hello!" The newcomer was none other than Karl, holding up a pack of lager.

"-I invited Karl!" Zao finished.

"Zao, why didn't you say you invited him?" Amara asked.

"I forgot. I've been fishing all day." Zao said, with his perpetual smile.

"Is that what they call it these days?" Dan said, and Lucy and Shirley laughed.

"I don't get it." Nathan said, confused.

"Really? How old _are _you again? Even I picked up the innuendo..." Kyle said, shaking his head.

"Trust me, he really was fishing. If he's near a body of water that isn't polluted, he'll be there until sundown." Karl said. "Anyway, I'm Karl. Zao's buddy, and the star player of the Saragel Heroes!"

"Wait, isn't Karl your ex boyfriend?" Serena asked, looking at Amara. "Are you okay with him being here?"

"It's fine, honestly. I just didn't know he was coming..." Amara said.

"I'm not surprised. Zao forgets everything!" Karl said, holding up some beer. "Oh, you guys already brought some?"

"Yeah. But we can never have enough! Now sit down, while Nathan tries to stop the barbecue from setting the garden on fire!" Blaine said.

"Would that really happen?" Kyle asked, nervous.

"No, Kyle, it'll be fine." Serena said. "Honestly, just relax. You should hang out with more people than just me, you know!"

"Yeah! Broaden your horizons, and see the whole wide world! Or something like that. Here, I'll play you guys a song." Zao said, and he got the guitar and started playing a rather peaceful tune. Amara had never heard him play before, but the way he moved his fingers, plucking the strings...it was so enticing. Every single note he played rang in Amara's ears, and it felt like a dream. She almost wished it was just the two of them, and he was seranading her with the most heartfelt love song imaginable.

"You're good, Zao! I play the piano myself. In fact, I'm a tutor!" Shirley said. "Most of the people I teach don't appreciate the subtlety, though." she said, giving Lucy a sideways glance.

"Well, it's kind of hard to do that when you play it even in the morning when I'm still in bed." Lucy said. "Can't you find a quieter hobby?"

"Like what? Taxidermy?" Shirley asked, with a menacing glint in her eyes.

"Not that! God no!" Lucy said. "Please don't hurt Lilith!"

"Lilith?" Amara asked.

"That's her cat. Don't get her started on that little furball, or we'll be here all day." Blaine said.

_Later_

"So, have you guys lived here long?" Dan asked, gazing at the rather elegant design of the house.

"Just a few years. It took us ages to save up the money to move, though. Nathan's father offered to help, but Nathan refused. He always tries to do everything himself, don't you sweetheart?" Priscilla said.

"Well, of course! That's why the barbecue tastes so good!" Nathan said, wiping away sauce from his face. "Oh, and the salad is good too. Very good."

"You only ate some because I brought it up, you greedy pig!" Priscilla said, playfully hitting Nathan on the nose.

"It's nice to eat meat once in a while. Usually, I just eat fish. Mackerel, trout, salmon, etc!" Zao said. "Now I'm hungry again. Pass me another sausage, Karl!"

"Sure!" Karl did so, and watched as Zao devoured it, messily. "Hey, eat a little slower! These lovely young women shouldn't have to see that!"

"Oh, leave him be. At least he's eaten some salad, unlike you and Nathan..." Priscilla said.

"Um...I was saving it for later. Seriously!" Karl said, quickly grabbing some salad. Priscilla chuckled, and so did Amara. Karl never did enjoy eating healthily, and she had tried many times to get him to eat more vegetables. At least Zao was a little less fussy.

"So Lucy, what was Karen talking to you about?" Amara asked.

"Well, I suppose I can tell you guys. Roger invited Karen to a vacation in the Bahamas, and so she's leaving me in charge!" Lucy said, ecstatic. _Oh. Does that make Lucy my boss? _

"She's only told me like five times before now." Shirley said wearily. "Lucy, just remember it's only for a fortnight, so don't let it go to your head!"

"Please, what could go wrong? I've seen the way Karen works. I can do her job and mine no sweat." Lucy said. "I can't wait to see the looks on their faces on Monday!"

"Way to go!" Blaine said, kissing her once again. "Remember your evil plan? This is phase one!" _I have a feeling Lucy will have no problem enacting her evil plot._

"As long as you compliment my sublime art skills, everything will be alright!" Amara said. "Congratulations, Lucy!"

"Hey Kyle, are you alright? You've been rather quiet!" Priscilla asked.

"I'm okay. I'm just enjoying the food." Kyle said.

"Hey, why don't we show them your Toulouse photos?" Serena said, excitedly getting out her phone.

"Wait! Don't -" Before he could stop her, Serena was showing the others all the pictures from Kyle's adventures in France. In particular, the one with Kyle trying to chase a duck carrying his beret souvenir had everyone burst out laughing. "Serena!"

"Oh, come on! You look so cute trying to get it back!" Serena said. Kyle, face red with embarrassment, turned away.

"Hey, Stella. You've lived in Kanaloa for most of your life, right? How come I never saw you before you opened your psychic parlour?" Blaine asked.

"Well...I kept to myself." Stella said. "You wouldn't know my parents, I'm sure of that."

"Oh, Stella, that reminds me! I placed an order for this poem collection online, can you tell me if it'll come on time?" Priscilla asked.

"This _again_? No, it'll be a few days later." Stella said, and she gave Amara a pleading look for mercy. Amara shrugged, leaving Stella to answer most of Priscilla's inane questions.

Kyle, still embarrassed from the slideshow, noticed the tattoo on Dan's arm. "Is that real?"

"Naw, I got some crayons and drew it on. Of course it's real, boy!" Dan said, showing the dragon tattoo off. "When I was about your age, there was this girl at school I liked who was into Chinese stuff. So to impress her, I went and got this beauty on my arm and torso! But it all backfired in my face. Turned out she didn't like tattoos or dragons. Or me, for that matter."

"Really? It looks pretty cool to me! Reminds me of Seiryu of the Ssu-Ling!" Kyle said. Lucy rolled her eyes, but Dan listened to Kyle's brief explanation of the Chinese Ssu-Ling. Dan just smiled and nodded at most of it, but cracked up laughing at the mention of the dragon 'Wang Long'. "I'd be too scared to get anything like that done, though...my mom would kill me."

"Oh, don't worry about that. You're nearly seventeen, right? You just do what you want. As long as you're old enough!" Dan said.

"Alright then. I still don't think I'd get one like yours, though." Kyle said, smiling. "Um, Zao, would you mind playing another song?"

"About time someone asked me to! Here we go, ladies and gentlemen!" Zao said, grabbing his guitar and playing another one of his soothing tunes. It seemed to fit the evening perfectly, as the sun started to set.

_Later_

Everyone was done eating, and finishing their drinks. Kyle was yawning, yet still chatting to Priscilla about his grades at school and how 'freaking awesome' _Digital Devil Saga _was. Lucy didn't seem to share his zeal for the computer game, and instead kept talking about her career as a journalist.

"So Serena, your parents don't mind you coming here?" Nathan asked.

"Please, even if they did I'd still have came." Serena said, angrily. "And you know why."

"Oh...yeah." Nathan said, and Kyle gasped.

"What's this about?" Lucy asked. "Selena having family problems?"

"It's 'Serena'! And yeah, but it's kind of personal." Serena said, trailing off.

"Well, I don't get on well with my folks either. They never wanted me to move here, but they couldn't keep me away from my friend - or slave!" Lucy said, putting her arm around Shirley.

"Lucy, the only reason I do the chores is because you break dishes all the time..." Shirley said, sighing.

"Oh, Karl! Did you get those boots from Richard?" Zao asked. "I wanna see!"

"So does every self-respecting soccer fan. Well, I was gonna take them, but we decided to keep one boot each." Karl said. "I picked the right one, though. That's the foot Gaultherias used to score that famous goal in Japan!" Now it was Kyle's turn to roll his eyes. Clearly, he wasn't a fan of sport.

"How are you two getting home?" Nathan asked.

"Oh, we'll get the bus." Serena said. "Actually, we'd better get going now!"

"Yeah, it is getting late. Bye, everyone!" Kyle said, waving.

"Take care, man!" Dan said, watching as Kyle and Serena left the house.

"You really like that kid, don't you?" Blaine asked.

"I guess I do. I just like looking out for him. Maybe it's because of...um, never mind." Dan said, shaking his head. Blaine sighed. Apparently, he knew what Dan meant.

"That's so sweet of you! You're such a gentleman." Shirley said, smiling. Dan blushed, and didn't respond. _Actually, haven't I seen Shirley somewhere before? Before me and Lucy met her at the mall?_

Amara looked to the starry night sky. It was perfect. To see the blackness of outer space, decorated by the bright stars and the pearl moon. It was brilliant. Tonight, she had thought very little of fighting Shadows or the Ater Vox, but had enjoyed spending time with both friends and new acquaintances.

"Let me guess, you want to paint the night sky?" Zao asked, looking at it as well.

"You know me so well!" Amara said. Zao kissed her, and once again Karl looked away. Not that Amara noticed - every time Zao kissed her, it took her breath away. This was only the second time she had felt so in love...

"Hey, get a room!" Blaine said, jokingly.

"That sounds like a good idea..." Lucy said, winking at Blaine.

"Lucy, calm yourself. " Shirley said, finishing her wine.

_Later, at Amara's Apartment_

It wasn't until midnight that Amara finally got back. Zao and Karl decided to hit the town, the former promising to find the latter 'the sexiest fan girls ever'. With the prospect of Lucy as her temporary boss, Amara decided she **really **needed to enjoy this weekend. Perhaps she and Stella could go out to Bar Skadi again - as long as she was wearing the coat provided and had good company, she could put up with the cold.

Lying on the sofa, she started to doze off. It had been a great day, especially since she got to meet her allies from the other world all over again. Priscilla and Nathan were such a perfect couple, and she had been a great host to everybody. Kyle was quiet, but at least he enjoyed talking to Dan. As for Dan, he was much the same as his counterpart, but without the horror of losing Kanaloa.

_I guess we never do realise how lucky we have it..._However, something broke her trail of thought. Amara found herself not in her apartment, but standing in a small bedroom, with little in the way of furnishing. Just a single bed, several textbooks, and a chair. The walls were bare, and the floor equally so. The only lighting was a bare lightbulb.

_What's going on? _

A boy was standing by the window, and it was pouring with rain outside. The boy's spiky black hair...surely it couldn't be Nihane? Amara walked over, but the boy didn't notice her at all.

"Is that Daddy?" the boy said. Amara didn't understand this at all. Was this Nihane's bedroom when he was a child? There was hardly anything here. If this was Nihane's childhood...why was she seeing it? Amara looked out the window, and witnessed a man with black hair getting out of a car. The boy bolted out of the room, and suddenly Amara was with him on the top of a stairway.

Looking around, Amara could see many identical wooden doors, with names on them. Yet, they all looked fuzzy, for some reason. _This is another memory? Why am I even seeing this?!_

"Oh, that poor child. $%^*(, he's so quiet, so alone! He never plays with toys or any of the other children. All he wants is his parents." a female voice said. Looking down, Amara saw two middle aged women standing chatting besides a statue. Nihane's real name must have been said, because Amara heard that strange white noise. It was like a tv episode that had been edited for syndication - but Amara was right there in this place. An orphanage, where Nihane once lived.

"He's been here for nine years, too. I was here when it happened. A couple came in with their baby, and they looked awful. Such weird clothes, I couldn't believe it. They weren't shabby, just kind of creepy! But they had such pale, gaunt faces. Skeletal, even. All they told me was that they were about to depart from the world, and their baby must never know of their ancestry." The second women said.

"So his parents really are dead? Should we tell him?" The first woman asked.

"No. The sooner he's adopted by a good family, the better. There's no need to tell him about such strange parents. He needs some normality in his life! I'll try to get him to join in tomorrow at playtime." The other woman said, and the two of them walked off. The young Nihane beside Amara looked distraught.

"They're...dead?" Nihane finally said, out loud. "But Daddy's coming back! He'll take me away, and mommy will join us! We'll be like all the other families!" Amara knew this child would later take control of her city, and spread it with Shadows. But this was only a child. She couldn't find it in her heart to hate him.

Nihane's eyes, a deep blue in this memory, started watering. "It's not true! I'm not like everyone else! I'm different! I don't want to live with strangers! I want my real parents!"

"Who's up at this hour of night?" an adult male voice asked, and before Nihane could answer, Amara woke up.

"Again...?" Amara said, sitting up. "Why did I have to see that? Nihane's not that boy anymore..."

Amara spent the night tossing and turning, trying to put that memory out of her mind.


	39. Chapter 39: Familiar Faces

**Chapter 39: Familiar Faces**

_Farawell, July 30__th__ 2012_

For the next two weeks, Amara had to put up with Lucy as manager. This did not exactly lead to a fun and enticing work environment, with Lucy constantly ordering people around, making sure everything was done to her satisfaction, and telling Colette to 'shut your trap' every time she showed off a new item of clothing. Not that Amara particularly needed to hear the no-doubt fascinating tale of Colette's sexy summer bikini (that apparently Juan had helped her choose), but Lucy was unnecessarily cruel in her attitude towards her.

However, Amara had started talking to Shirley more, who tried to cheer Amara up by posting her links to her piano recital videos. Shirley always tried to stand up for Lucy, admitting she could be hard to deal with, but she wouldn't let Amara badmouth her. Amara, on the other hand, just wanted to draw the way she wanted. _Thank god it's over.  
_  
Thankfully, Karen returned from the Bahamas with Roger just when Lucy was getting out of hand, having reduced Colette to tears yet again. There were rumours Colette was going to quit, but she was still working. Yet, she appeared less interested in her clothes. At least Juan tried to comfort her, and Sheila was actually supportive, too. Lucy and Blaine had spent many nights together, often enjoying exciting new drinks such as a 'Green Vesper Martini'. Amara had lost count of the times Lucy claimed she was talking to 'higher management' during her break, when it was obvious a certain biker was on the other end of the phone.

Lucy and Blaine weren't the only couple to get closer, however. Over the fortnight, Amara and Zao had hit the beach many times, catching some rays and eating copious amounts of ice cream. It was magical, not having to go into the other world every night, and spending every day after work with Zao or her other friends. Nathan and Priscilla had Amara over for lunch several times, with Amara bringing her artwork each occasion. She, Serena and Kyle had hit the mall several times, too, and the young lad seemed more comfortable around her. Once, she met up with Blaine and Dan at The Mole, and despite the latter scaring off a few customers, was a friendly man.

This summer had been great, and as an added bonus, she and Karl were talking again. He seemed to be over the break up, but it could still be awkward between them. Winning his team's match against a team from Takanawa had him jumping for joy, and it was all down to him and Richard's teamwork. Zao had given Amara many flowers from Bianca's stall to her, and she loved every single one of them. Kazuya seemed happy too, Amara having seen him at his family's sushi restaurant once or twice. Alastair...she hadn't spoken to him, but he seemed fine as well.

This morning, however, the team had agreed to meet the secret base team for the first time in a long while. Today was a holiday, to commemorate the end of a war. The other three seemed excited, having missed beating up Shadows over the summer, but Amara didn't really feel up to it. Zao, on the other hand, couldn't wait to unleash Rashnu on the monsters.

"You two ready? You look beat!" Blaine asked.

"Um, yeah." Amara said. "I'm just a little tired. Your girlfriend works me so hard!" Zao's eyes widened. "Zao, get your mind out of the gutter."

"Huh? I didn't say anything!" Zao pleaded, glancing sideways.

"What do you mean, get his mind out of the gutter?" Nathan said, oblivious. Then, his eyes widened as he thought about what Amara said. "Oh..."

"Nathan, for a twenty eight year old man, you can be really dense." Serena said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, give her a rest. She's not _that_ bad. Besides, she said you spend most of the time yapping away to Stella. I don't get to do that at my job!"

"Isn't that because no one at your work speaks good enough English?" Serena asked.

"That too. Anyway, let's go and kill some ugly ass monsters!" Blaine said.

_Unknown_

"Hey guys - huh?!" Amara knew right away something was different...

They weren't in the secret base at all. Instead, they could see grass, hills, and Lucille Hill in the distance. Also visible was what looked like the theme park. Yet, most of the establishment had been dismantled, and what was left was rusted and broken. Somehow, the team had managed to get outside the city.

"Lucille Hill?!" Blaine shouted. "What the fuck?"

"Oh no!" Serena said. "Did Archibald or Nina do this? The 'good' ones? Is this a DLC pack?"

"DLC what now?" Nathan asked. "Wait, never mind. This is...odd."

"Hold on, let me try something!" Zao said. "Persona!" Nothing happened. Outside the city, their Personas were useless. Then, Amara looked behind at the massive walls covering the entire city. _So what now?_

"Well, we can still get back to the other world, so let's put our weapons back for now. After that, we should see what we can find." Nathan said. Amara didn't have any better ideas, so they returned.

_Later_

Somehow, the NDD in the warehouse was locked onto the secret one outside the city. Amara had been very careful to lock the door since Zao managed to get into the other world, so no one could have tampered with it. The team spent a while trying to change the code on the NDD - to either the Farawell Shadow Development Centre or the Secret Base - nothing happened. Someone, or something, wanted them to venture outside the city.

"At least we get fresh air, I guess." Serena said. "It's been a while since I went outside the city."

"Staying here's not gonna do anything. The theme park's ruined, though. Our options are Lucille Hill, the Sirengo Forest, or we could just go home for today and wait." Blaine said.

"No, we can't do that! Someone must have wanted for us to go here. Let's go to the top of the hill so we can get a better view!" Amara said. "Come on, we'll be alright. There aren't any Shadows around!"

"If we can beat Shadows, I suppose walking up a hill isn't impossible." Nathan said.

_Lucille Hill_

The Hill was one of Amara's favourite spots, and thankfully it was not much different from her world. The gorgeous view was tarnished, however, by the sight of the ruined theme park, the steel barriers around the city, and the eerie dark clouds above it. Yet, it seemed Clairdol Village still stood, and the forest looked as lush as ever.

"Blaine, quit moaning. You stopped to rest five times already! Don't you work out three times a week?" Nathan asked.

"Yeah, but I've never been up here before, and it's like an oven today!" Blaine said, wiping sweat from his brow. "Can we go now?"

"I've got an idea! Let's go to the village. We can get something to eat, maybe." Zao said. "I could _really_ use some trout right about now!"

"That's not a bad suggestion, Zao. If we ask around, we can learn more about what the people outside know about the city." Nathan said.

"We have to walk **more**?!" Blaine said. "It'll take ages to get to the city from here! Is it too late to just go back home?"

"Oh, grow a pair!" Serena said. She walked over to Blaine, still panting for breath, and dragged him down the hill. Zao ran past them, without a care in the world.

"Well...this is going to be a _different_ trip to the other world." Nathan said, supressing a laugh.

"Just so you know, I saw you panting for breath on the way up." Amara said, smirking.

"Oh. Not a word to the others." Nathan said, quickly following the others.

_Clairdol Village_

It had been many years since Amara had visited Clairdol Village, but she had a feeling it was exactly the same as it was then. The humble houses, the thriving local stores, and the tiny beach. It was quiet, but that was part of the charm. For those who had grown tired of the city's hustle and bustle, the village was the perfect spot for a change of scenery. What reassured Amara the most was that the village was still intact and peaceful, despite the chaos that had afflicted the city.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? Welcome to Clairdol Village. Looks like it's still in one piece, thank god." Zao said. "Come on, let's go!"

"Wait a second, Zao! We can't just tell everyone we're from the city, if anyone asks. We have to make something up." Nathan said.

"Oh, come on, like anyone would care!" Blaine said.

"Actually, considering how tiny the village is, everyone probably knows everyone here. Especially with the city under lockdown. We'll stand out here big time. So we should make up fake names and identities!" Amara said.

"Okay. This sounds like fun! I've got my fake name already. Now let's find somewhere for lunch." Serena said.

_Claire's Cafe_

The team had picked a small, but somewhat popular, cafe for lunch. The prices were low, which appealed to Blaine especially. Nathan didn't seem too keen, but he wasn't willing to spend too much money in another dimension. The team sat down on the old wooden chairs at a table, covered by a red and white table cloth.

"Why couldn't we go to that fish restaurant?" Zao whined. "It looked so good. That salmon looked great..."

Nathan sighed. "Because we don't have that much money and the prices there were ridiculous. I didn't think this would happen." he said. "You'll probably be eating fish tonight anyway."

"He will, trust me. He's taking me to Saragel again." Amara said. "It's hot today, huh?"

"Yeah." Serena said. "We could a few Bufu spells to cool us down."

A rather bored young waitress came up, and took everyone's order. Thankfully, she didn't ask any awkward questions.

"How many tourists do this village get these days?" Amara asked.

"I dunno. It must be even quieter than our world's village." Amara said. "At least that waitress isn't going to ask where we're from, thank god."

"Hey Nathan, have you been here before? You seemed to know your way around." Zao said.

"Well, my friend Tara's grandparents live here. In fact, her grandfather is the mayor of the village." Nathan said. "They're nice people, but Tara doesn't get a chance to visit them very much. It's a real shame."

"What do you think the Tara here's doing now?" Serena asked.

"Lord knows. I hope she didn't get put in the Ornatu Legion. Then there's her partner, Adrian Gale...he could be in the same boat." Nathan said, worried.

"Chill out, Nathan! No use worrying about it now. Just relax and enjoy the cheap steak and fries." Blaine said, smiling.

"Yeah, it'll be okay. We'll get back to the city soon enough!" Amara said.

"I hope you're right. They'll be wondering why we're not there..." Nathan said.

_Later_

"I dunno what you guys are complaining about, I thought that was great." Blaine said. "Maybe I'm just used to junk food."

"Please, it was greasy, salty, and chewy. You're the only one who finished it..." Nathan said.

"I'm going to be brushing my teeth all night long..." Serena said, annoyed.

"Fish...I wanted fish..." Zao whined. Almost immediately after he said this, he began smiling again. "Anyway, let me tell you more about this village! Way back in the 1970's, my grandfather won a fishing contest here, and no one's ever beaten his record."

As the group made small talk, a young man came in. He had bright blue eyes, and short black hair that had a slight blue tint to it. The fellow reminded Amara of someone. Blaine's eyes widened as he saw him, but he kept quiet. _Who's this guy?_

"Afternoon, Linda!" The young man said to the more enthusiastic waitress, a pretty young thing with red hair. She seemed to cheer up when she saw him, but he looked tired, or maybe just bored. "What's new with you?"

"Oh, same old, same old. Hey, you know who those guys over there are?" Linda said, pointing to Amara and the others. "I've never seen them before."

"Me neither. It's been years since tourists came to the island." The young man said. "Anyway, I'll have my usual. One sec."

_Oh crap, he's coming over here!_ Blaine was still staring at the stranger, but Serena and Zao didn't seem to care - the latter was rambling on and on about the 1970 fishing contest. Time to make use of the fake name she had come up with.

"Um, can we help you?" Amara asked.

"I haven't seen you guys around. Where are you from?"

"I'm Shania! We're all the way from New Jersey!" Amara said. "This cute little village is nice, don't you think so, darling?"

"Yeah, that's right! I'm Leon, Shania's husband!" Zao said. _What the - we can't pretend to be a married couple! I don't have a ring I can use for a wedding ring! _"Sorry, I meant fiancé! I'm just that excited!"

"Sounds nice! Hang in there, buddy. The big day will come soon enough." The man said, shaking Zao's - or 'Leon' - hand. Amara stared at this young fellow. He was rather talkative with people he had just met. Still, he seemed pleasant enough. "Sorry about this, guys. I just like getting to know people. It's a small village, so it's nice to have new people to talk to. What about you three?"

"My name's Sabrina!" Serena said, giggling. "I'm Leon's cousin, and I'm going to be their bridesmaid!"

"I am...Declan, Shania's adopted brother." Nathan said, nervously.

"I'm Kane. I'm just a friend of theirs." Blaine said, but he sounded rather half-hearted saying it. The young man didn't seem to notice, though. On the contrary, he seemed rather upbeat, relieved to have seen something of interest today.

"Ah, cool - hold on! I'm sure I've seen you before. Maybe it's just my imagination." he said. "Eh, it doesn't matter. I'm Matthew. I work at the police station."

"Wow, nice! I love a man in uniform!" Serena said, with more obnoxious forced laughter.

"Steady on! It's not that exciting, missy!" the young man said, laughing. "I don't actually have one yet. It's a small station, and I'm still in training, really. Not that there's much crime here. I just do paperwork most of the time. It's boring as hell. Not as fun as it looks on the cop shows! Anyway, welcome to the village!" Amara shook Matthew's hand, and so did the others. Blaine looked stunned, for some reason.

"So Shania, want to go to the beach after we're done? I want to check out the fish!" Zao said.

"Sure thing, Leon!" Amara said.

"The beach here is great. I'd better leave you lovebirds to it! I might see you guys around later. Bye!" Matthew sat down at another table, in good spirits.

"I feel bad for lying to a policeman..." Serena said.

"Me too. He seemed like a good guy. Blaine, what's wrong?" Amara said.

"Nothing. Let's just go." Blaine said, looking out the window.

"Wow, he didn't suspect a thing! We're good liars!" Zao said. "To the beach, my friends!"

_Clairdol, Rica Beach_

The beach was tiny compared to the sprawling sands of Saragel or Kanaloa. Yet, the water was crystal clear, and there were a few people in the water, or enjoying the sun.

"I wish I'd brought my swimsuit." Amara said.

"Me too!" Zao said, winking at Amara.

"Oi!" Amara said. "You saw me in one when we first met, dummy!"

"Oh yeah. I just thought you'd look hot when fighting in one!" Zao said. _Yeah, but it'd be really embarrassing. Especially if one of the Ater Vox saw. _"Well, let's chill out for a bit, then we can go home."

"Yeah, whatever." Blaine said, barely even listening.

Just there, there was a lot of commotion. A girl in the sea, who was by herself, was struggling to breathe, and thus couldn't swim. "No!" Serena yelled. "Crap, what are we going to do?"

"Leave it to me!" Said someone nearby. A dark skinned woman, with long black hair in a curly ponytail, and vivid hazel eyes, was watching the shore. She wore a brown shirt, shorts, shoes and had a bright blue headband.

"Whoa!" Nathan said. The woman ignored him, and ran ahead, swimming as fast as she could. She quickly grabbed the girl, and swam back to the shore. Then, she administered mouth-to-mouth, helping the girl breathe normally. _Wow!_

"Are you okay, miss?" the woman said.

"Uh..." the girl woke up. "What happened?"

"Bethany!" The girl's mother ran up. "I'm so sorry, I didn't notice at all! Thank you so much, miss!"

"It's alright. Please, keep an eye on your daughter. If she has breathing difficulties, she shouldn't be so far out." The woman said, smiling. "I think Beth will be alright, for now. You should take her home."

"Right!" Bethany's mother took the girl away, and everyone stared at each other, except for Blaine.

"Wow, that was great!" Serena said.

"No kidding! I wish I had a woman to do that for me!" Zao said, winking at Amara.

"Um, you want to almost drown just so I kiss you to help you breathe?" Amara said. "It's not really the love scenario most people want, is it?"

"When you say it like that, it kind of takes the magic away." Zao said, dejected.

"I know that woman. That's Tara Miller!" Nathan said, amazed. "So she's been here all this time. Thank goodness!"

"Why didn't you go and say hello?" Serena asked. "Oh, that's right, in this world you, Priscilla, Tara and Adrian never met."

"Exactly. I couldn't just explain the other world thing. I don't want to get her involved. Still, I'm glad she's safe." Nathan said. "Blaine, what's up? You've been quiet since we met Matthew."

"It's nothing, dammit!" Blaine snapped, looking at the ocean.

"Alright, no need to sulk." Serena said. "Come on, let's go home!"

"Oh, you guys again! Hiya!" Matthew ran up to the team, and looked at Tara. "Hey Tara, get over here! There's some guys I want you to meet!" Blaine looked away. Amara tried nudging him in the elbow, but he didn't respond. _This is weird..._

"Oh, hello Matthew." Tara said, sighing. "I just got done rescuing one child, do I have to deal with another?"

"Hey, I'm twenty! I'm not a kid anymore!" Matthew said. "It wouldn't be so bad if Edna didn't keep calling me 'lad'."

"Oh, Edna Miller?" Nathan said, without thinking.

"Yeah. She runs the village with Bertram, my grandmother!" Tara said. "Oh. I'm Tara Miller, and I'm the coast guard here. You guys new here?"

"That's right. I'm Shania, and this is Leon, this is Sabrina, this is Declan, and this is Kane!" Amara said. "Kane, what are you doing? Say hello!"

"...Hello." Blaine said, hesitantly.

"Well, hope you enjoy the village! Don't bother heading to the city, though. It's been closed since 2002. Most people who come here want to see if it's true. But there's really no way in!" Tara said.

"Just like there's no way into your icy heart, huh?" Matthew said.

"Oi!" Tara said. "Why are you here, anyway? Don't you have criminals to arrest?"

"You kidding? Everyone here's too bored to commit crimes!" Matthew said. "Why do you think I get to go home early everyday? I need something exciting to do."

"Yeah, it's pretty uneventful here. I've been stuck here ten long years, having to put with this kid!" Tara said.

"You love me really." Matthew said, chuckling. "I might as well tell you guys. I'm actually from the city! Ten years ago, my big brother got angry at me, so I locked myself in the bedroom. Then I decided to run away from home, to teach him a lesson."

"Wait, _what_?" Blaine said, stunned.

"Stupid, huh?" Tara said. "So he gets all the way to the village, and I'm here visiting the grandparents! Then the barrier appears over the city and no one can get in. Not a word about why or what happened to everyone inside."

"Yeah! So Tara feels sorry for me, despite that frosty heart of hers, and she begs her grandparents to look after this adorable kid who's crying his eyes out, desperate to see his brother again!" Matthew said. "So I'm stuck here!"

"I don't think anyone else got out, so we were lucky. Everyone in the city's probably dead by now, though." Tara said, despondently.

"That's not..." Blaine said, trailing off. "...very optimistic."

"I know, but she's probably right. I'll never see my big bro again...so I have to make the best out of this village. Sorry, that was a little depressing. When you guys get back to New Jersey, don't tell your friends that story. A dude mourning his big bro isn't something you want to remember this island by, is it? See you around!" With that, Matthew ran off.

"I better get back to work. Enjoy your stay, everyone!" Tara said, leaving. The others stared at Blaine, now knowing who Matthew was.

"So you do know him...that's Dan's younger brother, isn't it?" Nathan said.

"The very same. I was thinking about why he'd be here, but then I remembered... When he was about ten, Matthew ran off to the village after a fight with Dan. Him and I were out of our minds with worry, but then Tara's grandparents called Dan to let him now Matthew was there. Dan came there as fast he could, and when he saw Matthew...he just broke down in tears and hugged him tight, begging him not to run off ever again." Blaine said, watching Matthew as he left. "Things were a lot different then..."

"So Matthew Kingsley is alive after all? Wow!" Serena said. "I didn't think Dan's little brother would be so cute!"

"Wait, what about Kyle?" Nathan asked.

"Well, he's not bad looking - hey, shut up!" Serena said, pouting. "Blaine, are you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be alright. I just never thought I'd see Matthew again." Blaine said, sadly.

"That's right, he died in our world, didn't he? Kyle told me that he and Matthew used to hang out." Serena said.

"Yup. It was two years ago, but for Dan, it might as well have happened today. He tries to hide it, but I know he's still beating himself up over it." Blaine said, melancholic.

"I'm so sorry." Amara said. "Were you and Matthew close?"

"Of course we were. When me and Dan were still teenagers, I had to live with his family. Parent problems, these things happen. So I was being a real brat, hoping I'd get sent back home, until Dan cheered me up by taking me and Matthew to the park. Matthew was just two then. It was a lot of fun living with them. They were more like brothers than friends." Blaine said, wistfully. "Good times..."

"Well...it's good to know he survived in this world after all." Nathan said. "I almost wish I had a brother or sister of my own now..."

"I think we're done with the village for now. Let's go back." Amara said.

"Just a second. We gotta get back to the base. I have to tell Dan his brother's alive!" Blaine said.

"I guess you're right. Then let's get going to the NDD. This DLC was well worth it." Serena said. "Nathan, I'll explain that to you later."

_Outside The City_

Blaine had spent the time walking back to the city talking about Matthew - his dreams to become a cop, his hyperactivity as a kid, and him staying up all night to watch cop shows.

"Guess he didn't remember me after all this time." Blaine said.

"Well, It's been ten years. You just gotta remind him." Zao said.

"Yeah. I will, once we find Dan." Blaine said. "Let's get our weapons."

_Later_

"Okay, let's try changing the code." Nathan said. He put in the Secret Base code, but it refused it. "What?!"

"Damn! We have to go back, and now! I have to get Dan to the village!" Blaine said, angry.

"Well, there might be another NDD around. Let's look." Serena said. "I hope Kyle and the others are alright..."

The team searched around the barrier, but they could not find another way into the city. "So what do we do now?" Zao said. "Try again tomorrow?"

"No, dammit! We go to the base NOW!" Blaine shouted, kicking the barrier - and his foot went straight through it. "Whoa!"

"No way!" Zao said. He stepped forward, and put his hand on the barrier, going right through it. "What the -"

"Guys, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Amara said.

"You want to go through the whole barrier? That's dangerous! We shouldn't -"

"Here I go!" Zao said, jumping through.

"I guess we have to go now." Nathan said, shaking his head. "This is strange, even for this world."

_Unknown Place_

"Whoa! This isn't the city!" Zao said.

While they could see the immense barriers, similar to the kind that barricaded their city, that was all this place had in common. All they could see around them was an endless light purple land. However, Amara could see something far in the distance. Lots of white, dilapidated buildings.

"Wait. Where's the city, then?" Amara asked. "There's nothing here!"

"Hold on. There's a place over there. Let's investigate." Nathan said - but just as they started moving, four large Shadows burst out of the ground. They were strange, copper snakes, with metal male and female symbols around them, and they had red masks on them.

"Oh, for the love of god! Out of my way, freaks!" Blaine yelled. "Tlaloc!" The snakes sent forth many spells, such as Bufula and Poison Mist, but they were nothing before Blaine's anger. Yet, more and more Snakes appeared - they were soon vanquished by Amara and the others, though.

"Crap, more and more of them just keep coming!" Amara said, using Sundial to kill yet another snake. "Let's get out of here - AH!" A gigantic snake, at least five times as large as the others, oozed out of the ground, and it was looking for victims. Sticking out a sharp, bloody tongue, Amara shivered at the sight of the monster.

"Oh crap, this thing is huge! Zao, why did you have to run through here?" Serena asked.

"I thought it was worth checking out! Come on, let's beat this thing fast!" Zao said. "Agi -"

"**Acolnahuacatl**!"

Just as Rashnu appeared to use a weak fire spell, something appeared out of nowhere - a strange humanoid creature, that had black hair with orange spikes, silver skin with lion-like stripes, a black and green tunic and a long grey tail. _A Persona? But whose? _

"Hyper Strike!"

The Persona, presumably Acolnahuacatl, suddenly grew shiny black metal claws and slashed the Snake Shadow at supersonic speeds, finally doing a twirl cutting attack.

"**Maká!"**

Another Persona burst out of nowhere - a beautiful woman, with long pale blonde hair with dark green tips. Maká had lightly tanned skin, with very bright blue eyes and leaf earrings. Her sleeves, dress and boots seemed to be made out of leaves and other plants as well, and she carried a staff that matched the green forest hue of her dress.

"Magnara!" A fierce burst of rocks attacked the Snake, knocking it to the ground. Amara was hesitant, but she ran ahead and slashed the Snake, and the others joined in the attack. The Snake rose up, preparing a spell.

"Hold on!" someone called. Amara turned around, and gasped. The mysterious Persona users were right there...Tara and Matthew.


	40. Chapter 40: Brothers

**Chapter 40: Brothers**

_Aeternus Headquarters, Meeting Room_

Archibald, Nina and Carlos were sitting in the meeting room, by themselves. Nihane's whereabouts were unknown, Pierre was monitoring the energy readings, and Josephine was in her room.

"Well, this is just great. After all this time, we still don't know who had the power to use that Traesto spell!" Carlos said. "We can't tell when the next Divine Spark is going to appear, either! How much longer is this going to take?"

"Actually, I heard Pierre say there was slight changes in Nova Albion. He doesn't know where, though. Nihane probably knows, but he's busy…" Nina said. "So, it's up to us to find it!"

"Indeed it is. If the fourth divine spark happens soon, then it shouldn't be much longer until Legarte and Saragel's Divine Sparks emerge. Once that happens, we'll see if Nihane's promises come true!" Archibald said.

Just then, Nihane entered the room. Everyone immediately looked up - if he was here, there was something important to discuss.

"Well, you must have already completed your duties if there's nothing else to do but hypothesise!" Nihane said, smug as ever. "I'll give you something interesting to discuss. This morning, I went to **Inanis**. The first time since the Kanaloa Divine Spark."

"No way! Did something change?" Carlos asked.

"Nihane, you're not hurt, are you?!" Nina said, worried.

"Please. As if any of the Shadows there could harm me. I discovered two things. The Cathedral, in the same location as it was in the original city! Not only that, a castle lying where Tachibana University would be!" Nihane said, with an evil glint in his eyes. "Inanis is slowly growing! It will truly flourish as the Eternal Road opens!"

'_Inanis'_

"You guys!" Serena shouted. "You're Persona users too?!"

"That's what _we_ were going to ask!" Matthew said. "Less chatting! We have to take this freak down!"

"R-Right." Blaine said. "Tlaloc! Zionga!" This time, Zionga did slightly more damage - Blaine had acquired a skill that increased the damage of his electric spells, Elec Boost. The Snake rose up, and tried to bite Blaine, but Setanta's Lancer attack prevented that.

"Come on… Magna!" Zao said, but the Snake dodged Rashnu's feeble earth spell. "Aww, come on!"

"Let me handle the earth magic around here! Terra Terror!" Maká swung her staff high, and a large statue made of rock appeared from the ground, resembling a goddess figure. The snake stared at it, and slithered towards it. Then, the statue burst with a terrifying bang of energy. The Snake fell over again, and now seemed less aggressive than before. In fact, it seemed afraid…

"Awesome!" Serena said. "Take this!" With her whip, she fiercely struck the Snake, and Matthew joined in with his twin knives.

"Okay, I can do this! Spark Claw!" Matthew called out. Acolnahuacatl's claws began imbued with electricity, and he slashed the Shadow five times. The combined electricity shocked the Shadow, paralysing it even further.

"This is easier than it looks! Now, Ruby Ignition!" Amara called, but Hathor's shiny red flames were completely absorbed the Shadow. The energy from this attack enabled it to recover slightly, and it rose up, and blasted the team with Malaques.

"Oh, goddamit!" Blaine said, falling to his knees. "Why does water always do this to me?!"

"Quit whining!" Serena said.

"Relax! I'll help you out!" Tara said. Maká used a healing spell - Mediarama - and as expected, everyone was restored. Blaine stood up, and stared down the Snake.

"No one messes with me and gets away with it! Tlaloc, get him!" Blaine yelled.

"Wait, let me help!" Matthew said. "Acolnahuacatl, help him!"

Tlaloc and Acolnahuacatl looked at each other, and nodded, Both Personas were charged with electricity, and the two of them attacked the Snake, one at a time. Heavy swings of Tlaloc's hammer were followed with swift slashes of Acolnahuacatl's claws, and after a bloody barrage of attacks, they assaulted the Snake together, finally defeating it.

"That was incredible…" Blaine said.

"Yeah! Blaine, that was great!" Serena said. "Oh! I mean, Kane!"

"Listen, you guys don't have to lie anymore. It took me a while, but I remembered who 'Kane' was! Blaine, you are still one badass mother****er!" Matthew said. Blaine grinned, whilst Nathan sighed.

"_Matthew_!" Tara shouted. "You're trying to be one of those nice guy cops, not the disgruntled ones! Watch your language!"

"Oh, sorry!" Matthew said, scratching his head and blushing. "So when I thought about it, something felt off about the rest of you. So when I heard you were heading towards the city, I just had to catch up to you guys!"

"I just thought you guys were checking it out, but…look where we are! This is New Motus City, or…all that's left of it!" Tara said.

"Huh? No it isn't! In this dimension, the city's swarming with Shadows, everyone hides indoors, there's the Ornatu Legion, the Ater Vox…all that's here are those weird buildings over there!" Zao said.

"_This_ dimension?" Tara asked, confused.

"We've got a lot to discuss. Let's go somewhere safer." Nathan said.

_Outside_

"So how did you two get your Personas?" Amara asked.

"Well, Matthew wanted to see if he could get in the city two years ago, so he tried looking at the barrier. He couldn't get in, though, until we found this part in the wall we could go through. And this is what we found!" Tara said. "Those monsters came and tried to kill us. I was convinced we were going to die! Then I heard something called Philemon talk to me, and Maká showed up! Matthew got Acolnahuacatl, and we killed the Shadows as fast as we could!"

"Yeah, but we couldn't find anyone else. So we thought something killed everyone in the city. Dan, Tara's parents, everyone. I wanted to find out what happened, but we couldn't find anything! Now it's your turn. What happened to the city ten years ago? Where's my brother?" Matthew pleaded.

"Well, this is going to take a while." Amara said. "We're not actually from this world. We're from a dimension where the city never got attacked by Shadows, and everything is normal. That's why we lied."

"No way! That…wait. Maybe it is true. This is weird enough." Matthew said, in thought. "Tell me more."

"Really?" Nathan said. "Well, we wound up through these NDD things into the city here, and we just assumed it was in the same spot as it is in our world. Honestly, I don't know where it is here, but it still exists!"

"Yeah. We're fighting alongside other Persona users too! We'll take you to see them, right now!" Zao said, smiling. "Then we'll explain everything!"

"You better! If you're hiding something from us, I won't rest until I find out what." Matthew said.

"Calm yourself, Matthew. I think we can trust these guys!" Tara said, smiling at Nathan.

The seven of them went to the NDD, and to Amara's surprise, the code for the Secret Base worked. _So, this was meant to happen. Why can't they show up and explain themselves? _

"Alright, this thing is called a Neo Dimensional Door! We can teleport to other ones with this thing!" Blaine said. "Cool, huh?"

"Yeah! I can't believe I never saw this before!" Matthew said. "Wait, before we go, what are your real names?"

"I'm Amara Furaha, best artist in the city!" Amara said. "Or at least, I want to be!"

"Serena Agnethe! High school student and future fantasy novelist!" Serena said.

"I'm Nathan Albion! I'm the heir to the Albion Corporation!" Nathan said.

"And I'm Zao Yuria, the fisherman who caught the greatest catch of them all!" Zao said, putting his arm around Amara.

"Wow. You know, your fake names kind of sucked." Matthew said. "Anyway, come on! Let's go!"

_Secret Base_

After getting to see the lush scenery outside the city, and the charming village of Clairdol, coming back to the Secret Base was rather jarring. Kyle was at the computer, Seraphina was reading a book again, Priscilla was eating a sandwich, and Aimee had just come in from the bathroom.

"Oh, good afternoon!" Kyle said. "What's new with you guys?"

"Well, quite a lot!" Blaine said. "We've got two new guys, actually…from Clairdol Village!"

"Clairdol Village? That's absurd! There is no path from the city to the village anymore!" Seraphina said.

"It's true! Ten years ago, me and Matthew here were outside the city when the barriers showed up and we couldn't get in anymore!" Tara said. "I'm Tara, and this is Matthew!"

"Nice to meet you! Good to see so many cute women here!" Matthew said, winking.

Priscilla laughed. "Oh, you naughty boy! I'm Priscilla, this is Seraphina, and our leader here is Aimee. Oh, and that's Kyle!"

"Welcome to the base. Dan's coming back soon, so just wait around." Kyle said.

"Dan?" Matthew asked, and then he turned to Blaine. "Don't tell me-"

Right on cue, Dan appeared from the same NDD.

"Sorry I'm late, guys, there were a lot of Shadows in Takanawa I had to take out." Dan said. "I need a drink -"

At that moment, Dan saw Matthew in front of him. Matthew gasped, and Dan's eyes widened.

"Dan?" Matthew said. "Is that really you?!"

"Matthew…" Dan looked at Matthew, up and down. Perhaps he was trying to make sure he wasn't hallucinating…Amara couldn't tell what he was thinking. "How?! You were in the house back then?!"

"I…ran away from home." Matthew said, tears coming to his eyes. "I'm sorry! I know I shouldn't have left, honestly! It's just...you were yelling at me, and I couldn't take it anymore! I'm really sorry!"

Dan, after a moment, walked forward towards his younger brother. Matthew flinched, clearly expecting a beating or some other kind of punishment. To his surprised, Dan put his arms around him, and hugged him tighter than Amara had ever thought possible. _Even bear hugs aren't that tight!_

"Dan…aren't you mad?" Matthew said. He was trying his hardest to hide it, but he was crying, tears were falling from his eyes.

"Mad? If you hadn't run off, you'd be dead! I missed you, little guy. Welcome home!" Dan said. Matthew smiled, and they stayed like that for what felt like an eternity.

"Okay, okay! You can let go now! I'm not going anywhere, not now!" Matthew said.

"You better not. Come on, tell me what happened! What are you doing here?" Dan said, smiling.

"There's a lot to tell you!" Nathan said. "So, we'll start from the beginning!"

And thus the team told Matthew and Tara everything from the start of their journey - winding up in the other world, fighting the Holy Cross, the Ornatu Legion. When it came to the Commander, Matthew looked hurt…but he didn't say anything. After all, his friend had destroyed his hometown and ruined his brother's life. Yet when they talked about the Cathedral incident, Matthew looked even more depressed. The Other Blaine was likely dead, and Matthew would never get to see him.

Finally, they got done with the Karen and Roger scenario, and it had taken nearly an hour to discuss everything. Each time they had to revisit the past, Amara hated it. How many more times did she have to relive the sad parts of her journey?

"This…is horrible." Tara said. "These Shadows…why do they even exist?!"

"Tara, I wish I knew the answer to that. All I know is that they're connected to human thought. I want to get rid of every single one of them!" Nathan said. "So it's up to us to do it. We'll stop Aeternus and the Ater Vox, and get rid of the Shadows!"

"Count me in. This is a lot more important than trying to become a cop in that old village! From now on, I'm helping out you guys!" Matthew said.

"Just what I wanted to hear!" Dan said, grinning. "You and me will be the greatest fighting team the city's ever seen! Oh, and this guy, too!" he said, pointing at Blaine.

"I want to fight too. I had to spend ten years outside the city…and I need to know why. So I'll be part of your team too!" Tara said. "You guys don't mind?"

"Well, the more the merrier!" Aimee said. Just then, her phone rang. "Hold on, it's Roger."

"Aimee, something's weird. There's tons of Ornatu Legion guys walking around Nova Albion! Me and Karen are trying to hide from them, but there's so damn many! And they're not there to kill Shadows, either!" Roger said. "We can't get to the NDD, there's too many of them!"

"What?! Hold on! We'll be there soon!" Aimee said, hanging up. "Karen and Roger say there's stuff happening in Nova Albion! It might be connected to the Divine Sparks!"

"The same thing that destroyed Kanaloa?!" Matthew said. "Then I have to go and stop it! I'll show you what I can do!"

"Your Persona better be good!" Dan said. "Come on, kids, we're going!"

_Nova Albion, Richmond Avenue_

Karen and Roger were hiding behind an old book store, trying to avoid being caught by the Ornatu Legion members patrolling the area.

"They don't know about the second base, do they?" Karen asked. "If they find it-"

"Don't worry about that. Just stick with me!" Roger said. "I recognised some of them. They were under our command!"

"If it's another Divine Spark, we could be in trouble. If only there was some way to stop them!" Karen said. "At this rate, all we can do is wait for them to come!"

"We'll figure something out. Come on, we'll get this city back on track! And when it's all over…you and I will have all the time in the world to ourselves!" Roger said.

"That sounds wonderful. Hey, look!" Karen said. Two Ornatu Legion members ran up to Roger and Karen - luckily, they weren't in the League or the Vanguard.

"What are you doing here?!" a girl with green hair said. "There might be more Shadows than usual!"

"What's going on, exactly?" Roger asked.

"All the Ater Vox told us was to patrol the area and look for anything suspicious. Hey, you've got some strange clothes on!" a boy with red hair said. "You're part of that terrorist group, aren't you?"

"We're not terrorists. You're the dogs that can't do anything but follow orders! I don't want to be like that anymore! You get in our way, we'll crush you!" Karen said.

"You heard her. Feel lucky?" Roger said. "Word of warning, our power's real."

"We'll take you on!" the red haired boy said. "Go, Black Frost!" His Persona was like a Jack Frost, but larger, with dark purple and red colours, and an evil grin.

"Unicorn, come to me!" the green haired girl said. Her Persona was indeed a Unicorn, a rather standard looking one.

"Kanaloa, Aques!" With one water spell, the redhead boy fell instantly.

"Bufula, now!" Aeshma's ice blast defeated the green haired girl just as fast.

"Idiots." Roger said. "They're too weak to do anything. It's only us who can change this city!"

"I feel bad for hurting them, though. Please, let them go!" Karen said.

"Relax, I'm not going to kill those kids. I've got enough blood on my hands…" Roger said.

"What?" Karen asked.

"We'll talk about it later! Hurry up and go, before any more of them spot us!" Roger said, and they ran off towards the old library…

_Meanwhile_

"This is Nova Albion?" Matthew said, looking around. "So this is how the rich people lived!"

"Yeah, but money doesn't make a difference now!" Dan said. "You better not get scared!"

"I've fought Shadows before, you know. I can handle this." Matthew said.

"Um, where exactly in Nova Albion _are _those two?" Zao said. "Oh wait, we've got Nostradamus here to tell us!"

"Sir Zao, if you refer to me by that ridiculous moniker ever again, I'll use your bones in herbal remedies." Seraphina said. There was no hint of emotion in her voice, so Amara couldn't tell if she was joking or not.

"Okay, okay! Sorry! Do you know where they are or not?!"

"Hecate tells me they're in Richmond Avenue. About twenty minutes from here, so we better hurry." Seraphina said.

"Whoa, she's a psychic?!" Tara said. "Personas are more amazing than I thought."

"Yeah, they are! And now we've got a new healer!" Serena said. "Now I don't have to do all the work!"

"Hey, I can heal too, you know!" Aimee said. "Enough chatting!"

_Richmond Avenue_

"They're not here!" Amara said. There were lots of Ornatu Legion soldiers walking around…and they all noticed the rebels. "Oh crap."

"It's them! We'll never beat them like this! Run!" one of them said. The immediately dropped their duties and fled, screaming.

"Ha! Cowards!" Tara said, giving them the middle finger. _And she tells Matthew off for swearing?_

"So that was the Ornatu Legion. Why did they just run off?" Matthew asked.

"Ornatu Legion have 'fake' Personas. They're a lot weaker than us." Dan said. "You could take them out in your sleep…wait, maybe we could do that!"

"Don't be silly! Now then, who are we looking for?" Tara asked.

"Roger Martin and Karen Marshall. They must be nearby!" Amara said. "Seraphina, hurry and check!"

"The library!" Seraphina said. Nathan seemed to know which one she meant, and led the way there.

_Apple Yard Library_

Apple Yard was one of the biggest public libraries in the city, although there was one in Takanawa that was slightly larger. Yet, this library had a focus on classic literature, and was rather old-fashioned. Nathan had come here many times during his childhood to read books Priscilla recommended to him, since he initially found books boring.

"It's still the same, but there's no librarian." Nathan said. "Oh, there they are!"

"Good timing. We had to fight tons of Ornatu Legion members to get here!" Karen said. "They were so violent, too!"

"Yeah, but they were worthless. Not even worth killing." Roger said, shrugging. "Anyway, from the sounds of things, the next Divine Spark is in Nova Albion. Wait, who are those two?"

"I'm Tara Miller, and this is Matthew Kingsley. New members! Long story, we'll tell you later." Tara said.

"Hey, I've been wondering. How do we even stop the Spark things?" Zao said. "I mean, we don't really understand how they work. Nihane says stuff like two forces awaken in the land of whatever, and then all that Shadow power comes and destroys the place!"

"I've been thinking about that. Apparently, a lot of people were murdered in the cathedral. It's not clear how many, but it must have been a lot…they had to completely rebuild it, because of the corpses." Kyle said, shuddering. "Then there's the University, which was built on the site of some old castle…similar story with that. Lots of people got killed there, too."

"That's horrible!" Aimee said. "So, we have to find a place like that in Nova Albion before they do? Could this library be it?"

"Unlikely. The worst that's ever happened here is me getting a splinter from one of the old desks. That one there, actually!" Nathan pointed at the closest desk. "It was quite painful!"

"Well, I can't imagine anything at a library being comparable to mass murders…where should we go next?" Amara next. "Oh! Tara, your house! Your parents might - no, **will **still be there! We should go find it!"

"Alright. I have to be prepared for the worst." Tara said. "In the other world, my parents are fine, right Nathan?"

"Yeah. I've never really seen them, though." Nathan said.

"Thank god." Tara breathed a sigh of relief.

_Tara's House_

"Wow! It's bigger than Nathan and Priscilla's place!" Blaine said. "Albion folk have it easy, huh?"

"Well, I suppose we do." Nathan said, sheepishly. "It looks fine on the outside, so that's a good sign!"

Inside, it did not look fine at all. The carpet was ripped, with what looked like cigarette burns all over it. The walls were dirty, a chandelier was broken into pieces that had scattered all over the floor, and the mirror was in a similar state.

"Oh no…" Tara said, scared. "Shadows?"

As if to answer her question, a Shadow emerged out of nowhere. A couple of dancers, the male holding a sword, and a love heart above them.

"You freak! Die,_ now_!" Tara shouted, and she slashed the Shadow. Maká's Magnara finished it off.

Just then, another Shadow appeared, a strange lion like head on a rotating wheel. Matthew stepped forward.

"I'll take this one. Go, Acolnahuacatl!" Matthew's Persona leapt out of him, and ravaged the Shadow, killing it quickly. "How was that?" he said, looking eagerly at Dan.

"Good work! Guess it runs in the family." Dan said, proud. The team went through to the lounge.

_Lounge_

Every bit of furniture was torn apart, in particular a TV which had been completely cannibalized.

"Damn. They took out all the parts I could have used!" Kyle said, sighing.

"Did Shadows really do all of this? I didn't realise how horrible they were..." Matthew said…giving Dan a look of pity.

"Wait! There's someone behind that sofa!" Nathan said. Everyone went over, and gasped in shock. It was a tramp, wearing tattered woolly clothes.

"What's he doing here?!" Tara asked.

The tramp didn't seem to even hear them. He was clearly drunk, or perhaps even high. He couldn't do anything but mumble, and he had a long ragged beard. It wasn't until they looked closer that they could see that he was long dead.

Aimee's scream echoed throughout the room. "No! How could this happen?!"

"The Shadows must have got him…" Kyle said. "No one without a Persona stands a chance against them. Poor man."

"Could there be more people like him around?!" Tara said. "I'm going to look upstairs! Someone please come with me!"

"I'll go with you. Nathan, will you join us?" Priscilla said.

"Sure. The rest of you, keep an eye out for Shadows. They might still be around." Nathan said, running upstairs with Priscilla and Tara.

"Whoa!" Blaine said, having just opened a closet. "There's one in here too - argh!"

"Him too?!" Aimee said, horrified. Another victim. This place wasn't safe…Tara's parents must have perished long ago, and all the homeless people who had taken up shelter here were dead too. "Didn't anyone survive?!"

"Oh crap!" Serena cried, as more Shadows appeared. They came in a wide variety of types, from the basic 'Maya' type to strange balls with large tongues. They were going after the helpless vagrant, but Kyle's Hephaestus put a stop to that. It took quite a while to beat all of them, and by the time they were finished, the room was even more torn apart.

"This is terrible. Why didn't Aeternus try to offer support for these people?!" Matthew said. "They really are as evil as you guys said!"

"I could have ended up like them if things had turned out differently." Dan said, looking at Kyle. "Listen, it's up to us now. We don't have a choice but to deal with stuff like this…but one day, the city will be back to normal. Just try and deal with it until then, okay?"

"I'll be alright. I'm with my big brother, so I'll be just fine!" Matthew said, smiling.

_Tara's Room_

"Wait a second. It's not been touched at all!" Tara said, surprised. The room was still in a pleasant condition. There were a few pictures of Jamaica on the wall, as well as various books filled with sheet music on a shelf. "Look…there's my old violin! It got worn out, but I kept it here!" Tara said. "It's still there…"

"Wait, look!" Priscilla said, pointing at something sticking out from under the bed. "It's a letter!"

"That's strange, I never wrote many letters." Tara said. "Let me see!" She grabbed the letter, and read it out loud:

_There is nothing left for us. The Shadows will kill us all. We tried to get away from them when we heard this place was empty, but the Shadows came in. The Ornatu Legion came, and protected us. And one of them stole my heart. He gave me a precious daughter._

_Then they took him away. Aeternus said he had to return to his duty. He didn't want to go, but he loved protecting us citizens. But there was no one left to protect us…he said someone would be here, but nothing ever happened._

_There's only a few of us left. I have to leave soon, but I have a feeling I'll die before I escape. There is only one month left until my daughter is born…and her father is lost to those freaks who claim to be our salvation._

_So before I leave…I want Sophia to know I'm sorry. We didn't understand what her parents were like, nor did we want to. We put that poor little girl through hell to make us feel better. Perhaps this is our punishment. Karma, after all._

_It doesn't matter if anyone reads this. Nothing will change. I will never see my love again…and my daughter will grow up in a dying city._

"That poor woman…" Nathan said, shaken.

"There's no signature on this. But who's Sophia?" Tara said. "I've never met anyone with that name."

"Me neither. Let's leave it for now and go back to the others!" Priscilla said.

"Alright." Tara said, putting the letter in her pocket.

_Outside_

"We looked around, but no one was still alive." Amara said, shuddering. "I…"

"Now I realise how bad this world is. I can't believe I used to think it was all a game." Serena said, sadly. "Kyle…"

"Don't apologise. If I was in your place, I might have thought the same thing." Kyle said. "Seraphina, any updates on the Ornatu Legion?"

"They're withdrawing for now. Yet, I suspect they will come back. The Ater Vox will stop at nothing to unleash the Divine Sparks!" Seraphina said.

"Alright, then here's my plan! We use happy thoughts to stop those sparks!" Zao said. "Hear me out! Nihane says two forces awaken in each of those weird lands, right? So if we break the balance between those forces with positive thinking, they won't create the Divine Spark!"

"That might actually work!" Amara said. "Zao, you're a genius!"

"Since we don't have any other means to stop them, it's worth trying. It's hard to stay positive when you see places like these, though." Roger said.

"Tara, what are you going to do now?" Nathan said.

"I want to go back to my village. I promise I'll come back." Tara said, looking rather glum.

"I should go, too! The Millers would be angry if I left without telling them!" Matthew said. "Dan, want to come with me? I'll show you around, you'll love it!"

"You really think I'd let you out of my sight again?" Dan said. "I need to thank those two for putting up with you anyway!"

"Hey, I behaved myself! Most of the time!" Matthew said. The team walked off, but Karen and Roger hesitated for a while.

"It's a miracle he got to grow up in that village instead of here." Roger said. "No child should have to stay in this godforsaken city."

"Yeah. One day, it'll be safe! And maybe you and I…" Karen said, looking into Roger's eyes.

"I'd like that." Roger said. The two of them held hands, as they followed the rest of the team to the NDD.

_Later, in Farawell_

"Well, that was different." Nathan said. "Now we're fighting alongside Tara and Matthew."

"Yeah." Blaine said, looking anxious. "I have to hide it from Dan that I'm still hanging out with his dead brother. If he found out, he'd kill me!"

"Blaine, it's okay. If Dan's really your friend, he'd understand! Right?" Amara said.

"I suppose, but I guess I'll have to do with it. Thanks, though." Blaine said, with a slight smile.

Everyone went home, and Amara decided to enjoy the rest of the day at home. Now there were even more questions, regarding the location of the city in the other world and what the place beyond the barrier was. But, she got to see Dan reunite with his brother. They were lucky. Her father's other self was dead, and so was her other self. Perhaps they were together in death.

Tomorrow, Amara resolved to visit her father - with Zao. She had to make up for the time her other self didn't get with her father. And it was time to introduce him to her boyfriend…he was part of her life now.


	41. Chapter 41: Soothing Scene

**Chapter 41: Soothing Scene**

_Amara's Apartment, 3__rd__ August 2012, 7:30 am_

"Wow, what a beautiful morning!" Amara said, looking out her living room window. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping away, and the person living above her hadn't turned on her radio yet. And to make this morning even better, she got to wake up next to Zao. If she hadn't wound up on a quest to save the other world from Shadows, her life would be pretty good. Sure, she'd never have met Blaine, Serena, Nathan, or most of the others, but she'd at least have Zao.

"Yeah!" Zao said. "A great day to catch some trout!" _Go figure._

"Zao, it's always a great day for fishing with you!" Amara said, laughing.

The rest of the working week had passed mostly without incident. Matthew had mostly settled into his role as a rebel Persona user, but it was hard to juggle that and his duties in the village. His foster parents, Tara's grandparents, had no idea why he constantly left the village, but his excuse of wanting to walk more seemed to do the trick.

Daniel's mood was a lot friendlier now that Matthew was part of the team. Yet, whenever his younger brother had to go to his home, Dan got sad again. Not that Amara could blame him, after all that had happened. Nothing had happened in Nova Albion since the Ornatu Legion had left, but when they checked Tara's apartment, the dead homeless people were gone. Someone had buried them in the back garden, with many flowers placed at their graves.

No one had any idea who did this, but Amara felt better, knowing that someone cared enough to bury them. She…was too horrified by the sight of them to suggest it herself. Zao helped her feel better, but if she saw more dead people in the other world…she didn't know what she'd do.

"What are you thinking about?" Zao asked, eating a cereal bar.

"Oh, it's nothing. You're hanging out with Karl tonight, yeah?" Amara said.

"Yeah, I said earlier! Looking forward to the karaoke?" Zao asked.

"I suppose so! Priscilla and Shirley are going, that'll be fun. Stella said she might show too." Amara said. "Anyway, we better get to work!"

"Right! Those fish aren't going to catch themselves! Actually, that would be kinda cool!" Zao said, grinning. "You know, if a giant fish took my rod and tried to catch some tuna!"

"Oh, Zao…" The two of them quickly got ready, and Zao whistled a catchy tune as they went their separate ways to their workplaces. Hopefully, the day would go by peacefully, then she could have some fun tonight.

_Solar Ray Mall, 5:30pm_

Business was booming as usual at the mall. Bianca was on the phone, talking to Kazuya. Ever since Roger and Karen began dating again, the former had been there almost every day to purchase a new bunch of flowers to present to his beloved. It was kind of sappy, but at least it kept Bianca in business. Today, however, had been a slow day, hence she had the time to answer Kazuya's calls.

"Yes, Kazuya, I'll be there! Oh, hold on, I've got a customer!" Bianca said, smiling. "Oh, hello sir! Sorry about that." The customer in question was Blaine, who was dressed up in his best shirt, and had his hair trimmed. Tonight, he was going to Lucy's place. Shirley would be out, so they'd have the place to themselves. Well, Lilith the cat would be there too, but Blaine could probably tolerate the furball for one evening.

"No problem! Can I have those tulips, please? I've got a date tonight!" Blaine said, pointing at the red tulips.

"Sure, here you go. Good luck!" Bianca said, as Blaine paid for them.

"Thanks! Oh yeah, how's your uncle?" Blaine said - and it wasn't until he finished the question that he realised his mistake.

"Huh? My uncle?" Bianca said, confused.

"Sorry, I had you confused for someone else! Bye!" Blaine said, running off.

"How would he know I had an uncle?" Bianca said. She shrugged, and went back to tending her vast collection of flowers.

Blaine was still panicking as he was leaving the mall, when he saw Nathan. He was still in that fancy blue suit Blaine secretly envied…or did he just have multiple suits of the same kind? Considering his salary, he probably had a wardrobe filled with suits, ties, and shoes.

"Oh, hey." Nathan said. "Someone's dressed up. Got a date?"

"No, I regularly buy flowers for myself. Of course a date, dummy!" Blaine said. "What about you? Doing anything with Priscilla tonight?"

"Well, actually, she's going out with Amara and that Shirley woman for karaoke. Tara's coming, too. That'll be weird for Amara…" Nathan said, looking off into the distance. "Me and Adrian will probably just meet at his house and watch some old westerns."

"Ah. Oh yeah, did you ever confront your father about Josephine?" Blaine asked.

"No…I keep putting it off. I just don't know what to do." Nathan said. "Blaine, if your father was alive, and this happened with you, what would you do?"

"Tough question." Blaine said, looking serious. "Look, just find the right moment. Come on, it's not the end of the world. People have affairs all the time! Not everyone who has one is a complete bastard, you know." Blaine said. "No, I haven't. Don't look at me that way!"

"Sorry! Well, I will discuss it with him at some point. I have to go, so you and Lucy have a good time!" Nathan said.

"Oh, I will! I'm heading to her place! Trust me, it'll be a very memorable night!" Blaine said, with a confident wink.

"Ah, I see why you're dressed up now. Good luck with that." Nathan said, walking off.

_Saragel Promenade, 5:45pm_

Zao and Karl were enjoying some ice cream, after the latter was done with a hard training session with his team.

"Hard to believe it'd be that tiring kicking a ball around!" Zao said, licking a strawberry ice cream.

"Yeah, I used to think that's all it was. Then I learned all the right techniques, the right manoeuvres. It's like you and fishing! You thought it looked easy, didn't you?" Karl said.

"Well, grandpa made it look so natural! But he is the best!" Zao said. "Remember when he showed up at school, and you were scared by his beard?"

"Well, it was gigantic! And it had a crab in it! How did that get in there, anyway?" Karl asked.

"I think he was just messing around at the beach. The man loves searching for shells…" Zao said, smiling. "Your dad's pretty scary, too!"

"You think so? Well, he was pretty mad when Aimee went off with you without telling him…" Karl said. "Yeah, he used to be really angry at stuff. He's kind of mellowed out, though!"

"That's good! Me, I'm always mellow. You gotta face life with a smile!" Zao said, smiling, as if to illustrate his point. "You know…Amara was saying she wants me to meet her dad. You ever met him?"

"Um, yeah, a couple of times. He's a nice man, but he's kind of the sappy type. He'll always be going on about how amazing Amara is." Karl said. "Then again, I was saying the same sort of stuff."

"Oh, you are every girl's Prince Charming, aren't you?" Zao said. "Well, it'll probably be alright. Must be a good sign if she wants me to meet her dad!"

"Yeah. Good luck!" Karl said. "Anyway, I was trying to reach you last afternoon, but you never picked up! What happened?"

"Oh, I was with Amara!" Zao said. "She was…um…painting!"

"When _isn't_ she painting?" Karl said. "Ah, it's okay. Anyway, Richard was trying to pick up girls with Alastair last night, but they completely failed! Richard always tries to make jokes about a woman's appearance, which doesn't go down well when they've had reconstructive plastic surgery. And Alastair was as formal as usual!"

"Well, you should have better luck! A guy as handsome as you, what girl would resist?" Zao said, sniggering.

"I suppose I could try it. I dunno. I don't mind being single, for now. My mom keeps asking me if I have a girlfriend, though!" Karl said, sighing. "You got lucky, man."

Zao was quiet. He still had a niggling feeling Karl resented him. But he didn't want to confront that. So, the conversation soon turned to fish, as it often did, and Zao proudly discussed his capture of a sea bass.

_Lucy and Shirley's Apartment, 6pm_

Lucy was by herself, waiting for Blaine. She had dressed up in a nice red shirt, with a bit of makeup, and had put on her best perfume - the one her mother gave her before she left for the city. Tonight, Blaine was finally coming over to her place. Something was odd when she met him for dinner on Monday…he was tired, and she could tell he was worried about something.

Shirley had gone out with Amara and Priscilla to a karaoke club in Takanawa, so Lucy had the night to herself. Cue lots of teasing from Shirley - for example, how much cleavage she was showing, her makeup, etc.

Just then, the doorbell rang. There he was - Blaine, with his usual cocky smile. He had smart, clean clothes for once, and his hair looked neater, too. She often joked that he was just pleased he landed someone ten years younger than him, but she really hoped that wasn't it. There had to be something more.

"Hello, mademoiselle! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to seduce me!" Blaine said, smiling. He was holding something behind his hands, but Lucy didn't notice yet.

"Well, someone has to make an effort around here!" Lucy said teasingly. "I'm kidding! You're looking a lot better than last night. What was that all about?"

"Oh…just other stuff going on. Trust me, even guys as cool as I am have their bad days. Nice place you've got here!" Blaine said, looking around. "I could get used to this! Oh, here!" He revealed the beautiful red tulips to Lucy, and laughed as she gasped.

"Wow, they're…nice!" Lucy said, surprised. Blaine looked a little downhearted as she said it…she didn't sound so enthusiastic. Perhaps she just wasn't as flower crazy as some girls. "I'm serious! These roses are really pretty!"

"They're tulips." Blaine said, snorting.

"Whatever! Make yourself comfortable, I'll get you something to drink!" she said, going into the kitchen.

Blaine sat down on the sofa, and smiled. There would be no dead people, no Shadows, or broken furniture tonight…he didn't show it, but he was shaken up by the ruins of the Miller household. Not only that, meeting Matthew again. However, tonight was just about him and Lucy.

Oh, Lucy. She wasn't shy about her feelings. That was what he liked about her. Sure, she did often remark about how crappy his job was, and could be rude a lot, but Blaine could ignore that. She made him feel young again…as if he didn't have a care in the world. Every time he saw her, it made him forget about his problems - his work, Dan moping around, the Shadows. In all his life, he'd never felt like this about a girl before.

"Here you go!" Lucy said, bringing up a glass of wine. "The lasagne's in the oven, and I think you're going to love it! I made it myself!" she said.

"Sure you did." Blaine said, sniggering. "Tell me, did you make that packaging in your hand too?"

"Well, uh, I…You're mean!" Lucy said, as Lilith, the black cat, jumped onto a chair and looked at her expectantly. "Alright, alright, I'll get you something too!"

_Shiyamiya Karaoke, Takanawa 6:30pm_

Amara, Priscilla and Shirley arrived at the karaoke bar, where Stella was sitting by herself. Priscilla had arranged a private room for them to sing, so they didn't have to worry about total strangers watching them. Shiyamiya was a popular venue, not just for the Takanawan locals but for those all over who wanted to unwind by singing their favourite songs.

"Well, hello there. Good to see you all again." Stella said. "I had a prediction of which song to sing…my only worry is whether my voice can reach the right pitch."

"Not a problem for me! I can sing pretty well! I'm a musical prodigy!" Shirley said. "Feels strange going out with out Lucy. I wonder how her date's going?"

"I also consulted the cosmos about that. Trust me, it will be a very memorable night for both of them." Stella said, browsing the drinks menu.

"Okay then..." Amara said, blinking. "We don't need a synopsis of the after dinner show, thanks. Let's just get singing!"

"Wait, Tara's not here yet!" Priscilla said. "She might be late. She was busy with the violin this afternoon!"

"Oh, is she the one in the orchestra? She must be damn talented to be allowed to perform in that theatre in Nova Albion!" Shirley said, smiling.

"She is! When we first met, she brought the violin with her everywhere she went!" Priscilla said. As Priscilla and Shirley discussed Tara, Amara looked nervous. Stella noticed this, and they walked away a little.

"Amara, you're nervous about something. I can feel it. You know Tara in the other world, don't you?" Stella asked, staring right into Amara's eyes. This gave her a strange sensation…like Stella could see directly into her own soul.

"Yeah. She was in Clairdol Village for ten years." Amara said, describing the events of Monday. "It'll be weird seeing her, and she won't have a clue who I am."

"There is nothing to worry about. We simply hide your secrets from Tara - there is no reason to involve her. All we need to do tonight is sing, regardless of how tone deaf you are!" Stella said.

"Hey, I'm not tone deaf! Actually, there's something else…I told you about Nihane Kronos, right? I saw another one of his memories in my dreams a little while ago. He was a little boy, in an orphanage, and he heard people saying his parents didn't want him to find out about his family." Amara said. "Why do I keep seeing his memories?!"

"That, Amara, I don't know! I'm sincerely drawing a blank, here!" Stella said. _What? But you know everything?! _"Perhaps…you already know the answer. Try to think back to all the times you've met Nihane Kronos. There may be something you missed."

"You think so? Okay. I will." Amara said. "Hey, let's go back. Priscilla's looking at us funny!"

"She's not the only one. That guy over there keeps staring at my hair…" Stella said, and the two of them walked back to Priscilla and Shirley.

_Saragel Promenade 6:43pm_

"Well, that was fun. Shall we hit the club now?" Zao asked. "Time for some more speed dating!"

"Zao, no. Those things suck! Let's just drink by ourselves." Karl said.

"Aww, come on! I said I'd find you a girl, and I'll do it! There's got to be tons of girls in the city who'd fall head over heels for the greatest soccer star in the city!" Zao said, nudging Karl.

"No, Zao. Not tonight!" Karl said, getting angry. "Sorry. I just want to chill out tonight, just the two of us."

"Wow, Karl, I'm flattered!" Zao said. Karl blinked, then the two men burst out laughing. "Alright, to your eternal bachelorhood! Let's go!"

As the two of them wandered off, they saw someone they met once, or in Zao's case, multiple times. Daniel Kingsley, walking by himself. He didn't seem to recognise them - which Zao could understand, since this version of Dan didn't know Zao very well. But the Dan he knew had finally been reunited with his younger brother, Matthew. Over here, that could never happen.

"Why do you look so sad, Zao?" Karl asked.

"Oh, nothing!" Zao said, shrugging. "I'm just thinking about stuff."

"Don't most people think about stuff? It's kind of hard to think about nothing!" Karl said, sniggering. "So, want to try Bar Skadi?"

"Hell yeah I do! With all the summer heat, I need something that'll really cool me down!" Zao and Karl ran off, towards the icy bar.

Meanwhile, Kyle and Serena were leaving Cocoa Harbour. They were nearly due back at school, but they didn't mind so much. One more year, then they could do anything they wanted. Of course, it wouldn't be that simple, but Serena had a good feeling about her future.

"So, back to your house, Kyle?" Serena said.

"Yeah! We'll watch some Cowboy Bebop - subbed, of course." Kyle said. "Remember when we tried it dubbed? It took us all night to clean up the pretzels!"

"Well, it was pretty hard to endure. Oh, it's that guy!" Serena said, pointing at Dan. "Want to go say hello?"

"You go on ahead. I'll be quick." Kyle said, and the lad wheeled himself over.

"Oh, evening." Dan said, a little cheerier.

"What's wrong? You look a bit depressed." Kyle said, inquisitively.

"I do?" Dan said, and then he laughed a bit. "Guess I'm not living up to the tough guy image, then!"

"What tough guy image?" Kyle said, laughing himself. "Anyway, um…I'll be back at school soon. Guess I'll be seeing you in the mornings again, then!"

"Huh? Oh, right." Dan said. "Oh yeah, you're seventeen now! A bit late now, but happy birthday! One step closer to being an adult!"

"Yeah, you're right! I still don't know what I'll do after I leave school, though…I'm thinking of what colleges to apply to. I'm not worried about getting in, but I just hope I find the right place." Kyle said.

"Hey, you're pretty smart. You'll do alright!" Dan said. "Matthew was pretty clever too! He could have done anything he put his mind to! But…" he trailed off, and stared off into the water, looking absolutely miserable.

"I'm sorry, if I remind you of him, I'll leave you alone -"

"No. Don't do that. You're alright, kid. Listen, don't worry about me. Like I said, you'll be alright no matter what happens!" Dan said. "Come on, you've got a date waitin' for ya! Go get the girl!"

"Hah, you sound like - I mean, we're not on a date! Serena's just a friend, honestly!" Kyle said. "Well, I'd better get going. Cheer up, will you?"

"Sure. Get going, or Serena will be pissed off! Never keep a girl waiting!" Dan said. As Kyle went away with Serena, Dan felt a little better. He felt sad, ever since he heard Blaine was going to Lucy's house tonight, but…why? It didn't seem like mere jealousy - from the time Dan had met her, she seemed okay. Maybe a little arrogant, but that wasn't anything Blaine couldn't handle.

"Come on, get it together…" Dan said to himself, as he made his way home. At least tonight, his friends would be happy.

_Shimayima Karaoke_

It took a little longer for Tara to show up. Apart from her clothes - a nice pink dress with an islander style to it - she looked much like the Tara Amara had met.

"Oh, I'm glad you're here! What happened?" Priscilla asked.

"It's nothing serious, I just lost track of time! Adrian says it's because I take too long getting ready. He doesn't understand how hard it is to be a woman!" Tara said, sighing. "So are you going to introduce me to your friends!"

"Of course I will! It wouldn't make sense to go the night without knowing who they were, right? This is Amara Furaha, and that's Stella Cleon. Oh, and this is Shirley Evens! Everybody, this is Tara!" Priscilla said.

"Hi!" Amara said, shaking Tara's hand. It felt so odd, introducing herself to someone she had already met. Of course, Tara wouldn't see it that way at all…so Amara had to ignore the feeling of déjà vu. Stella gave her a concerned look. _I can handle this, Stel. Don't worry._

"So, you're that psychic girl, right?" Tara asked. "Priscilla keeps talking about how amazing you are! I know! Guess when my birthday is-"

"April 24th, 1984." Stella said. Tara gasped, and Priscilla grinned.

"Fantastic!" Tara said, impressed. "Okay, enough hanging around! Let's get singing!"

The five of them made their way to the private room. Amara's doubts about Tara were fading, as she felt herself relax. There was no need to think of the other world tonight. Rather, this was a chance to get to know Tara, without having to fight Shadows. The worst she'd have to worry about was her being off-key. And what Zao and Karl would get up to.

_Lucy and Shirley's Apartment, 11pm_

"It's been an interesting night, hasn't it?" Blaine said, petting Lilith. Apparently, Lilith wasn't comfortable around strangers, but she didn't seem to mind Blaine's presence. Perhaps it was because of Lucy.

"Yeah, even if we did have to watch that stupid _Blood, Blood and More Blood_ movie." Lucy said, shuddering. "You kept laughing at me! That's not very nice!" she said, although she was smiling.

"Well, you were screaming pretty much the entire time! You are such a girl!" Blaine said, laughing.

"Oh, come on, I thought I saw you gasp a couple of times! Especially during that scene with the tractor!" Lucy said, giggling. "Actually, that was kind of fun!"

"Yeah, it took my mind off things." Blaine said, smiling. Lucy looked at him, worried. "Oh, don't worry so much. I've just had a lot on my mind. Some crazy stuff's been happening…"

"You mean at work? You know, you could probably do better than that place." Lucy said. She had said this many times before, but this time she sounded serious.

"Nah, it's not that bad. I'm just glad I have something to look forward to at the weekend!" Blaine said, smiling. Right then, he reached over, and kissed Lucy on the lips, more tenderly than he had done before.

"That was…" Lucy said, her cheeks as red as a tomato. "I didn't think you could be so romantic!"

"What, even after the flowers? You're the only girl I've really wanted to impress. I'm serious. I really like you." Blaine said, with a wide, hearty smile. "So, want to watch something else?"

"No. There's something else I'd rather do!" Lucy said, as she moved closer to Blaine. They looked at other, and from the passion in her eyes, it became very clear to Blaine what she had in mind. Looks like this was going to be a night to remember after all…

_Inanis, Centre, 11:20pm_

In the eerie land of Inanis, sealed from the world by gigantic walls that could never be climbed, Nihane Kronos appeared in the centre of what was once New Motus City. He had come here by himself many times…but something felt wrong. Others had been here. Many of them.

"This is my world! No one else is welcome!" Nihane shouted, as his anger rose.

The idea that someone other than him was completely anathema to him. If it were one of the Ater Vox, he'd still be angry, but he would likely pardon them. Yet he could feel it. Their enemies had come here. Yet, how?

"This place is for me and me alone! I won't let anyone be part of Inanis!"

His orange eyes flared up, and his words echoed throughout the empty fields. He made the long journey towards the ruined white buildings. What the others had not realised was that they were in the same location as Kanaloa. Yet, there were enough ruined white buildings for an entire town. And only one building remained intact, in it's former glory.

"Greetings, Amurdad. Do not fear. I will not allow you to be destroyed again."


	42. Chapter 42: Emptiness

**Chapter 42: Emptiness**

Saturday night had come, and now it was time to return to the other world. Amara waited in Farawell with Zao, who after Friday night was still a little hung over. Apparently, he and Karl decided to go on a pub crawl, which was a drain on Zao's wallet. Tara and Matthew seemed to be settling in with the others at the secret base, and Aeternus had been quiet for a while, so it didn't seem like anything big could happen.

"Oh, you're here already?" Serena said, running up. "Cool! At least I'm not the last one here again!"

"Yeah, I was expecting the others to come first. How've you been?" Amara asked.

"I'm alright. Back at school next week, though. It's going to suck, but one more year, so I can't complain too much!" Serena said. "What about you?"

"Well, I was at karaoke last night with Priscilla, Shirley, Stella, and Tara!" Amara said. Serena gasped. "I know! I think I handled it pretty well, though. She was pretty normal! All she really talked about was Adrian and the violin. She didn't really say anything about the village."

"Oh. Well, I'm glad nothing bad happened!" Serena said. "It's a shame we can't meet the other Matthew, though…he's such a nice guy."

"Yeah. Still, at least he's happy over there! Fighting Shadows with his big brother!" Amara said. "Hey, I've got an idea. Let's go to that place! You know, the one with nothing but Shadows!"

"Oh, are you sure? It is kind of cool. Maybe it's like Purgatory." Serena said. "No, I'm serious. With all the other crazy Shadow stuff going on, it's plausible!"

"Hey, didn't we seem some white buildings there? We should check those out, too!" Zao said. "Oh, there they are!"

"Evening, ladies!" Blaine said, with a confident expression. Nathan was with him, and he looked weary. "Oh, and Zao!"

"At least you didn't call _me_ a lady this time." Zao said.

"I'm glad you're all here. All Blaine's been talking about is Lucy!" Nathan said, exasperated. "I never had you down as the Casanova type, though."

"You kiddin'? A guy as good looking as me can get any girl he wants!" Blaine said. Serena giggled, awkwardly, and Amara sighed. "Hey, I'm just in a good mood. I had a really good time last night, that's all!"

"Yes, I think we know exactly what you mean." Nathan said, frowning.

"Ever since you met Lucy, you've been so happy! I'm glad, Blaine!" Serena said, smiling. "We should hang out with her more!"

"Well, I'll see what I can do! Now let's hurry up and get in that other world!" Blaine said excitedly. _Wow, he's even more pumped to do this than Zao -_

"YEAH! Let's go!" Zao yelled, running into the warehouse with Blaine. Amara laughed nervously, as Nathan gave her a funny look.

"Well, at least they're having fun!" Amara said.

_Secret Base_

Only Tara and Matthew were at the base. This was odd. Why wouldn't Dan be with his brother?

"Evening, guys!" Matthew said. "Dan's off to The Mole, and he said he didn't want me to see it. Dunno why he likes going to that place so much, Priscilla said it's absolutely awful."

"And the others are checking Nova Albion…no signs of a Divine Spark, or anything. So we're kinda stuck here, waiting for something. Glad you're here!" Tara said, smiling.

"Hey, I've got an idea! Let's check out that weird place beyond the city walls again!" Zao said. "Maybe we can figure out what's going on!"

"…You sure? We haven't gone too far for now." Matthew said. "Still, with the seven of us, we'll probably make it further."

"Yeah, I think so too! We still don't get why this city isn't behind the barriers, either." Amara said. "Hopefully we can get some answers tonight!"

"I bet it's part of the Eternal Road scheme, somehow." Nathan said. "I agree. Let's go to the…whatever that place is."

"Maybe we can find some cool treasures there, too!" Serena said. "You never know, it could have priceless relics of some long lost civilisation buried there!"

"Priceless, huh? Hmm." Blaine said, getting an idea. "Then we're definitely going!"

"You're not going to steal them and sell them, are you?" Amara said, with a stern look on her face.

"Uh, no! I'm just going to look at them! And not touch them!" Blaine said, looking sheepish.

_Inanis_

The strange land was just as vast as Amara recalled. Yet…it felt different tonight. She could feel the Shadows, somehow. It was like they were being concentrated around particular points of the land…

"Hey. Look over there!" Serena pointed, and far away, the team could see something. A…Cathedral?! _That's Farawell Cathedral!_

"Why is - " Blaine said. "The hell is goin' on?"

"I'm not quite sure, but look at the cathedral. Not only does it look damaged, but some of the architecture looks old fashioned. It's nothing like it was _either_ ten years ago or today." Nathan said. "It's like it's the cathedral from the past."

"That doesn't make any sense! Why would that even be here?" Tara said.

"Hold on. Follow me! I think I have an idea!" Serena said. And so, the team followed Serena, fighting many Shadows along the way. _This place…is it the past? _

Eventually, the team discovered a large castle. There were numerous signs of aggression all over it, with broken walls, burnt trees, destroyed statues and many bloody weapons stuck in the ground. The path leading up to the castle seemed to fade away into the eerie purple ground…

"The **** is a castle doing here?" Blaine said. "Shouldn't this be Tachibana University?"

"Oh, that's where the previous Divine Spark was, right?" Matthew said. "If I remember correctly, they built the campus where a castle used to be."

"What?!" Tara shouted. "So this is that castle?!"

"Yeah. Don't you see? The cathedral looks really old, and this castle hasn't existed for about three hundred years!" Serena said. "For some reason, there are old buildings here where Divine Sparks happen!"

"Then, in Kanaloa…" Blaine said, his face pale.

"All of Kanaloa was destroyed, right?" Matthew said. "So…an entire town is there in this place?"

"Most likely. In fact, Nihane mentioned it to us. Before Kanaloa, there was a town called 'Amurdad' that was torched to the ground." Nathan said. "Those white buildings…it must be Amurdad."

"Oh my god! What the hell is this Eternal Road thing doing?!" Tara shouted. "Are they trying to recreate the city from the 18th century?! Why the hell would they do that?"

"I have no idea. Guys, I think we should go to Amurdad. We might see the truth if we go there." Amara said. She tried her hardest to look confident, but she was terrified. Going to a town, that was supposed to have been destroyed hundreds of years ago? The worst part was, there wasn't a single record about Amurdad anywhere online. All she could find was articles relating to Zoroastrianism, an ancient religion.

"You okay?" Serena asked. "I guess anyone would be scared."

"No shit. This town is where Kanaloa is!" Blaine said.

"This is a lot more serious than I thought." Matthew said. "Guys, we should hurry. I want to see Amurdad."

"Alright. We'd better be prepared." Nathan said. "Let's go."

_The Mole_

The blue haired woman was back at the piano, playing her songs. Apart from Dan, however, no one had any interest in her music. They were more preoccupied with her…assets.

"Hey, lady, want to come home with me?" one rowdy man said. Dan glared at him, but the woman didn't react.

"Forget that loser. I can show you a real good time." another lout said.

"**** you! She's mine, okay? No way is she gonna go after you shitheads!" one man said, already tipsy.

"You guys shut up!" Dan suddenly yelled. The woman stared at him, and stopped playing.

"The hell is up with you?" the first man said.

"Oh, I've seen him before. Anyone tries to get some with that chick, he beats them up! Well not tonight, dickhead!" the third one said.

The woman watched in horror as the three men cornered Dan, and punched him all over. Dan, despite being out-numbered, managed to give them all a good pounding back. His attackers were soon beaten black and blue, but he wasn't in good shape himself.

"Are…you alright?" the woman asked.

"Yeah, it's nothing. I just didn't like the way they were talking, that's all. You deserve better than that." Dan said, trying to catch his breath.

"Three men came at you and they still couldn't take you down…you're pretty tough. Wait, your face is bleeding!" she said, shocked. "I'm sorry! This is my fault…"

"The hell it is! Nothing I can't handle." Dan said, shrugging. Yet, when he touched his face, he felt uneasy at the blood on his fingers.

"Come on, I'll clean that up." Shirley said. Dan couldn't believe his luck, as the woman took him into the back room.

"Thanks." Dan said, as the woman wiped away the blood. "You know, ever since you started playing the piano here, I found a reason to keep coming."

"You really think it's that good? It's nothing special -"

"Sure it is! With all those Shadows out, there's nothing to look forward to anymore. Your music helps me cope with that. It reminds me of better days, with my kid brother and my best friend." Dan said, smiling. "And remember when I said you were beautiful? I meant it. I don't just say stuff like that to make girls fall for me."

"You sure about that? You're such a charmer!" the woman said, smiling. "Thanks for looking out for me, though. I can't believe you'd go to such trouble for me."

"Hey, I've been through worse. It was worth it, trust me. Especially to make you smile!" Dan said, grinning.

"See what I mean? You're quite the smooth talker! What did you say your name was again?" The woman said.

"Daniel Kingsley. Just call me Dan, though. I hate being formal!" Dan said, adjusting his cap.

"Okay then, Dan it is! I'm Shirley Evens!" Shirley no longer had the expressionless face she usually did. Now, she was full of smiles, and Dan was pretty pleased with himself too. His heart was pounding…

"Listen…I have to go back home. I'll be back, though! You better look after yourself! If any of those guys lay a finger on you, they're dead!" Dan said.

"Gotcha. You just better not get yourself killed out there!" Shirley said.

"Oh, don't you worry about that. Even the Shadows are scared of me around here!" Dan said, leaving before Shirley could ask what he meant.

_Amurdad_

As the team started walking to Amurdad, all they could see were a few crumbling buildings, made of white stone. Yet as they came closer, they could see more and more ruined structures…not just buildings, but burnt trees, pavements, lampposts, fences…it was unreal. An entire town appeared in their eyes, and by the time they got to the entrance of the city, something felt off.

"Wait, where are the barriers?" Tara asked. "I can't see them anymore!"

"You're right, they're gone." Nathan said, astonished. "So with Kanaloa's destruction, this place came into being. Right?"

Blaine didn't say a word…he looked straight ahead, taking it all in. Matthew gave him a sorrowful stare, perhaps hoping Blaine would say something to cheer him up. Yet, the words never came.

"I think I hear something - whoa!" Serena was cut off by…the sight of the entrance to Amurdad suddenly going to what must have been it's former glory. The houses nearby were in perfect condition, as were the healthy trees surrounded by a decorative golden fence. The lampposts were also in their full shining splendour, and the path onward was fully intact.

"Don't let anyone get away!" _Huh? Who said that? _

Amara couldn't believe what she saw next. Masses of people, swarming towards Amurdad…from the look of their clothes, they were from the 18th century. They were shouting, screaming, but Amara didn't understand what they were saying. Yet…they looked crazed, and to her horror, they carried all sorts of weapons. Pitchforks, knives, torches, and even guns.

"The hell?!" Blaine shouted.

What they did next was something Amara would never forget. They smashed the entire area apart, dragging strangely dressed people from their homes…and forcing them to watch as they burned. No one could bear to watch, as innocent people were beaten…stabbed…and shot. Once they were dead, they were thrown into their burning homes, and their assailants cried in triumph. Then, they moved onward, as more and more people swarmed the entrance.

"Stop! Please, just _stop_!" Serena screamed. "I don't want to see this anymore! Please, stop making us watch this!"

Finally, it was over, and the town was in ruins once again. Serena tried to stop, but she burst into tears.

"Serena, it's over. You can stop crying now. We can get through this, trust me." Nathan said, walking over to her. Then, he gave her a warm, gentle hug. Serena gasped, but continued to sob.

"What was that?!" Matthew shouted. "Did that happen in the past too?"

"Yes, it did! Amurdad got destroyed because of everyone else in the city! And Kanaloa got built on top of it!" Blaine shouted. Matthew stepped back. "Sorry, Matthew. I just…I didn't want to know about this at all."

"Didn't Nihane tell us about this when the Cathedral got destroyed?" Amara asked. "He said Amurdad got destroyed, and something about how the feelings of the people who died didn't go away. And those feelings are what destroyed Kanaloa in this world."

"Karma, huh?" Blaine said, staring at the ruined house in front of him.

"Thanks, Nathan. I'll be okay. I just don't want to see any more of those memories!" Serena said. "Should we keep going?"

"Yeah." Amara said. "I have a feeling we're not alone. I can feel it, that weird sensation. The same one the Ater Vox give off."

"I guess they eat too many beans, huh?" Zao said.

"Zao - never mind, let's just go." Nathan said.

_Amurdad, Bridge_

The next part of Amurdad that remained somewhat intact was a broken stone bridge, over a shallow river. This river had completely dried up, and the small bridge had collapsed on itself.

"How could those people do this?" Amara asked. "This seemed like such a nice town!"

"Look!" Matthew said. Suddenly, the bridge and the river were in their original state - the river was clean and flowing rapidly, and the bridge was gleaming. A man was standing on the bridge, wearing a strange black and white robe. A pretty woman, with black hair and blue eyes, ran up to him.

The woman spoke with the man for a brief moment, and then…she kissed him, with the same kind of passion Amara had seen in people like Karen and Roger. She hadn't had that sort of kiss with Zao yet, though. The woman was crying, and seemed to be pleading with her lover. The man shook his head, and turned towards the team's direction. The woman looked at him for a long time, and then…ran ahead, as far as she could.

"Oh no…" Blaine said. Crowds of angry villagers, brandishing their weapons, were charging towards the bridge. The man took out a strange gun, and looked on ahead. Just as the crowds reached the bridge, it ended. The bridge was back in ruins, and the water was gone.

"Who were those people?" Nathan asked.

"I don't know, but, the man must have died here." Serena said, staring sadly at the wrecked bridge. "Why did the townspeople have to murder everyone they came across? Amurdad wasn't that bad, was it?"

"Keep moving. I feel a weird sensation, too." Matthew said.

_Amurdad, Palace_

The team had travelled far to get here. They had gone through the ruins of a mansion, where they saw the same woman being chased by crazed people, calling her a 'harlot', 'devil's prostitute', and other horrid slurs. Amara felt so much sorrow for the poor woman - and she realised something no one else did. She was heavily pregnant. That baby's father had been killed, trying to save his lover and his child. And she was trying to escape, but time was running out.

They soon reached the ruins of a palace, a grand building with a few steps leading up to the entrance. The path that reached the entrance included a small bridge over a pond. As with the other places they had travelled in Amurdad, it was in ruins. Pillars knocked over, fences broken down, tiles cracked, and most of the palace walls broken down, and the path by the pond had bloodstains all over.

"No! That woman died here?!" Tara shouted. Amara gasped - and soon, another memory began. The palace was in it's form before the destruction, and it was breathtaking. Yet, the woman fleeing had collapsed on the path, screaming. _She's…in labour._

"There she is! That filthy witch! She's giving birth to the devil's offspring!" a crazed man holding a bayonet cried out. _No! She is not a witch! Leave her be! Now!_

"No…please, stay back! I…" the woman screamed, in deep pain. To Amara's surprise, the villagers from the other parts of the city came over. It looked like they were trying to help her…

"Thank god." Nathan said. The others looked uneasy, however.

"…It's…a boy…" the woman said, holding the newborn baby in her arms.

"It's an unholy demon, that's what it is!" A woman yelled. "Drown it, now!"

"_No_!" Amara screamed. "Please, don't do it!" Nathan had to hold her back, as the nightmarish scene continued. It happened so fast, yet so slowly. The villagers cheered as the still crying child was plunged into the water, and soon…it stopped making any noise. The mother became hysterical, but she was took weak to do anything. Soon enough, one man stepped forward, and put his rifle at her head.

The shot echoed far and wide. The woman's corpse fell into the river, with her child. The cheerful cries of the people made Amara feel sick…and angry.

"How could you?!" she screamed. "She did nothing wrong! What is wrong with you people?!"

The townspeople marched forward, wrecking everything in their path. They stormed into the palace, and just as they began knocking down the walls, the memory finally ended.

"Our ancestors did this?!" Matthew shouted. "No! How could…they be so cruel?"

"Simple. It's in their nature." a voice said.

"Nihane!" Amara shouted.

Nihane Kronos was there, sitting on the steps. Normally, he looked so smug, but now he had a calm expression. Standing behind him were the rest of the Ater Vox. He leered at them, and Amara could feel the hate radiating from him.

"Amurdad was an unfortunate place. They were different from the rest of the island. They believed in magic, in strange gods. They wore different clothes, ate different foods, and had bizarre rituals. Humans can't stand people who are different. Yet, it was the Eternal Road pilgrimage that led them to this."

"What does that mean?" Tara asked.

"Amurdad's leader had an idea. He wanted his people to integrate with the island, and bring their teachings to the other five towns. A journey of the soul, to gain knowledge of the land and spread it to everyone one would meet. How naïve, right? Still, to think that his plan would result in this…"

"Nihane, what the hell is going on? What's up with this place?!" Blaine shouted.

"This place is called **Inanis.** Impressive, yes? The Divine Sparks add to this land. First, Amurdad came into being once Kanaloa was laid to waste. Then the cathedral emerged here, after the fateful encounter there. And the latest was the old castle, built where Tachibana University would be many years later. Do you understand now? The power of the Shadows brought these places back from the past!" Nihane said, looking up at the sky. "Your precious city is in the heavens now!"

_The city's in the sky?! I can't see it at all…he must have used some magic to make it invisible. Nihane, you freak!_

"Whoa. That's unbelievable!" Matthew said. "What are you even trying to do?"

"Nihane Kronos is not the name I was born with. You discovered that yourself, Amara. You somehow saw one of my distant memories. No, Nihane Kronos was a glorious title, fit for the ruler of Amurdad! And the last Nihane Kronos managed to flee, with his wife and young son! He had an older daughter, too. That was the woman who perished where you stand!" Nihane shouted.

"You mean _you're_ Nihane's descendant?" Amara asked.

"Of course that's what I mean, you wretch! If the island had accepted Amurdad, it would still stand here! But your ancestors tore everything to pieces. They got what was coming to them!" Nihane said. "You don't know? The people who resided in the Divine Spark locations? They were the leaders of this 'cleansing'!"

"Indeed. Their actions led to their rightful deaths." Archibald said. "This city has not changed, even after three hundred years. Nor have the feelings of those who died."

"How appropriate that now, the people of the city are that the mercy of the Shadows! The foolish populace tried to forget Amurdad ever existed. That crime cannot go unpunished. Once the Eternal Road is complete, only we shall be allowed to change the world!" Josephine hollered.

"That's insane!" Nathan shouted. "What happened here was awful. But I don't think the city's the same as it was then. We're different now!"

"Are you sure? What about your city today? Kanaloa is now the victimised area, unloved by all. It's a wonder you people haven't burnt that place to the ground by now!" Nihane said, now looking angry.

"Kanaloa isn't a great place. But at least people like Blaine are there." Nathan said, glaring at Nihane.

"You mean that?" Blaine said, stunned.

"So, you're trying to be all perfect and noble now by having some common lout as your friend!" Nihane stood up, with sheer anger flaring up in his eyes. "What good will that do you now? That won't bring back everyone who perished at the hands of your ancestors! It won't make my family alive again!"

"Of course it won't. But your Eternal Road is a mockery of your ancestor's plan!" Amara shouted. "He didn't want to destroy the city itself!"

"Shut your face! I don't care what his plan was! The Eternal Road will truly change the nature of the planet…and we'll be at the centre of a new existence! Nothing will exist, except the six of us!" Nihane screamed. Amara felt a shiver down her spine, and a strange sadness.

"E…" Amara said.

"E?" Nihane scoffed. "What's with you, all of a sudden? Trying to memorise the alphabet?"

"E…than! Ethan, stop this!" Amara shouted. The rest of the Ater Vox gasped, and Nihane froze.

"What did you say?!" Nihane yelled.

"Your name is Ethan!" Amara said.

"Shut up! That name is **dead**! There's no way you could have known it!" Nihane, having lost his inhibitions, leapt from the stairs and ran to Amara…but the minute they looked each other in the eye, something changed. He stopped, and Amara felt herself getting dizzy.

"Nihane, get back here!" Pierre shouted. Nihane didn't respond, and the rest of the Ater Vox watched, concerned.

"Amara, hold on!" Zao cried. Amara shut her eyes, and lost consciousness…

_Unknown  
_

The next thing Amara knew, she was standing in a room filled with computers and other equipment. There were many blinking lights, and many cupboards with identification labels on them.

"Wait, why do I know his real name?" Amara asked. Somehow, she knew the name 'Ethan'. She had never met Nihane until the cathedral incident, though. And her other self first met him when she awakened to Sekhmet. So what was this?

Just then, she noticed two people in the corner of the room. Archibald, dressed in a simple white lab coat, and Ethan. Yes, this was definitely Ethan. His innocent blue eyes were wide as he listened to Archibald's words.

"They'll be here soon. You need to get along with them. We'll be working very closely for the next couple of years." Archibald said.

"Next couple of years?" Ethan asked. "But Archibald, what about my job as a network technician?"

"Oh, that? Don't worry, this team will meet after working hours, once a week. On those days, however, we'll be here for quite a while. You'll get a chance to show off your skills." Archibald said. "You're very good, but I want you to be more sociable. Don't be afraid, Ethan. I'll help you."

"You mean it?" Ethan asked.

"Yes. Oh, here comes someone now!" Archibald said. Two men walked in - Pierre and Carlos. They looked normal, and cheerful. No malice or any negative feelings were in their eyes, and they were dressed in normal clothes.

"Bonjour, Archie!" Pierre said, swaggering over. "Who's the kid?"

"This is Ethan Walters." Archibald said. _Walters...so that's his surname. _"He's new, but talented. You'll keep him on the right track, won't you?"

"Please, it's you I'd be worried about! You're always tinkering away after closing hours, spouting stuff about calculations!" Pierre said. "I'm Pierre Leonard. Good to meet you!"

"Um, likewise!" Ethan said, shaking Pierre's hand. "What about you?"

"I'm Carlos Nadal, and the best looking guy in Aeternus. Despite what Pierre thinks." Carlos said. "He seems to think the metrosexual style suits him. Trust me, it doesn't."

"You only say that because you could never pull it off!" Pierre said. "Ethan, you don't have any sisters, do you?"

Ethan gulped. "No."

"Oh, good! Less females for Carlos to pounce on!" Pierre said, chuckling. "There's more people to come, right?"

"Yes. Two women! And I suspect Carlos to make his move on both of them. Perhaps even at the same time." Archibald said.

"Give me some credit, guys! I don't flirt with co-workers!" Carlos said. "As much as I'd like to…"

"Well, here they come!" Archibald said. Nina and Josephine walked in, and smiled as they saw Archibald.

"So here's where Archie hides away!" Nina said, ignoring Carlos' wink. "I swear, he's nocturnal!"

"Indeed. I'll have to put in more hours if I want to beat him someday!" Josephine said, with a coy smile.

"Oh, is that a challenge? Then I accept!" Archibald said. "I'd like you ladies to meet Ethan Walters. Ethan, this is Nina Agnethe! And this is Josephine Johnson!"

"Nice to meet you, Ethan." Nina said, blushing.

"Likewise." Ethan said. He seemed nervous when shaking her hand. Then he looked at Josephine. "Nice to meet you as well!"

"So, tell us about yourself, Ethan! If you were picked by Archie, you must be good!" Josephine said.

"Um…well, I was born in an orphanage. I came to the city when I was 16, and finished school, went to college, and joined here." Ethan said.

"That's it? Nothing else?" Carlos asked. "Well, that's kinda boring. From now on, we're going to make your life way more fun."

"Absolutely. Come out with Carlos and me this weekend, and we'll have a blast!" Pierre said. "We'd ask Archie too, but we're going to young people places."

"Fine with me! I prefer places with real atmosphere anyway." Archibald said. "Right, we'd better get started! I think we're all going to get along just fine."

"Yeah, we will!" Nina said, smiling at Ethan. He gulped, but he seemed happy too. Everything went white, and Amara couldn't hear anything else…

_Amurdad_

"Amara, wake up!" Zao said, shaking Amara's body. Nihane had collapsed too, and there was a strange aura from his body.

"Ugh…" Amara stirred, and saw Zao's relieved face. "Zao?"

"Amara, you're awake! Thank god!" Zao said, hugging Amara tight.

"It's alright, Zao. I'm fine now." Amara said. "Hey, he's waking up too!"

Nihane stood up, and stared at his comrades surrounding the others.

"Stop, all of you!" Nihane called.

"Nihane, you're okay!" Nina yelled. "That bitch did something to you, didn't she?"

"Don't you _dare_ call Amara that!" Serena cried.

"Everyone, shut up! From now on, only I can go to Inanis! Got that? It's where I belong, and only I get to decide who comes here!" Nihane screamed.

"Nihane, what's gotten into you?" Archibald asked.

"Were you not listening to a word I said?!" Nihane screeched. "Amurdad should have been mine to rule! It should still survive to this day! Yet the city decided it was to be destroyed, in the name of their precious 'justice'! That's why only _I_ can stay here!"

"We should depart for now, anyway. Staying here won't accomplish anything." Carlos said. "Take heed, everyone. The next Divine Spark shall be upon us soon. Once the last one is complete, the world is ours for the taking. Life itself shall become something else."

All six of the Ater Vox vanished into thin air, but something remained where Nihane stood. An identification badge, with Ethan's picture on it. His name was there, too, printed in block capitals. Amara picked it up, and stared at it.

"Amara, are you alright now?" Nathan asked.

"I am. But I knew his name. It's on this badge, too. Ethan Walters." Amara said. "If Amurdad hadn't been destroyed, none of this would have even happened. The city would be at peace, and there wouldn't be two dimensions at once."

"But Kanaloa wouldn't have existed. And me and Blaine probably wouldn't have either." Matthew said. "Isn't it kind of pointless to say stuff like that? We can't go back and change things."

"I guess you're right." Serena said. "I feel bad for Nihane now, though. All this happened because those stupid people torched Amurdad!"

"Even so, that's just an excuse. We have to keep going, and stop this Eternal Road before all the Divine Sparks are activated." Nathan said. "I hope Zao's plan works."

"Trust me, it'll work like a charm!" Zao said. "You guys just have to stay happy, got that?"

"I think I can manage that. I certainly did last night!" Blaine said.

"That sounds like the Blaine I remember! A new girl every weekend!" Matthew said, smiling.

"Wow. Every weekend?" Nathan asked.

"Damn straight! Of course, I was young then, but I've still got it!" Blaine said.

"You just went through the ruins of a town, filled with memories of it's destruction, and you're already talking about your love life?" Tara said, bewildered.

"Well, Zao said to stay happy, and I guess they are!" Amara said. "Let's get out of here, before the Shadows show up!"

_Secret Base_

"So that's the story of Amurdad." Aimee said, sadly. "Such a sad place…"

"Why does Amara keep seeing Nihane's memories?" Priscilla asked. "If Amara's in danger, then -"

"I'm fine. I feel okay, anyway." Amara said. "I don't think that's the last time I'll see his memories, though."

"Lady Amara, and the young man known as Ethan Walters…what might their connection be? The spirits will not indulge me…that is troubling." Seraphina said, trying to focus.

"So his name is Ethan. How did he find out about Amurdad?" Kyle said. "I've never heard of this place, and there's not a single record of it anywhere."

"Those ****ing Shadows must have told him!" Dan said. "Those freaks just can't resist destroying everything!"

"So from the moment they found the Shadows in their experiments…everything went wrong." Serena said, staring at the floor. "And we're the ones who have to make it right."

"Exactly! So we have to pull out all the stops!" Zao said. "When the next Divine Spark appears, we'll find a way to make it go away! Trust me, we won't let them turn the world into Inanis!"

"Zao…thank you." Amara said. "Fighting these Shadows is hard, but…with you, I feel I can take them all down."

The five of them returned to their world, trying to forget what they saw that day. Yet, this was futile. With the way things were, a return to Inanis was inevitable. Nihane would stop at nothing to destroy the world, and claim vengeance for Amurdad.


	43. Chapter 43: Blue Sky

**AN: **The previous chapters have been edited to correct any mistakes, removing excess ellipses, changing awkward dialogue (of course, your mileage may vary on that) and just overall improving the story. From now on, I aim to write the story to a higher standard. I promise that the next two chapters will be quite dramatic, and there are still several arcs planned to follow! Special thanks to MoldyJellyBean for his support. Please check out his story, too! Also, reviews are much appreciated.

* * *

**Chapter 43: Blue Sky**

_Furaha Household, 6pm_

"_Cool_!" Zao shouted. "Your old place is amazing. It's way better than my parent's place!"

"Well, my dad _is _in charge of an oil corporation, so he's got money to burn!" Amara said. Zao was amazed at just how grand the house was. It was certainly prettier than her apartment, that was for sure.

"I can just imagine the feast he'll have prepared! Trout, haddock, cod, tuna!" Zao said, practically drooling.

"Well, I did tell Dad you love fish, so he'll probably have prepared a huge selection of all the ones you like. Which doesn't really narrow it down." Amara said.

"That sounds great. Anyway, I finally get to meet your old man! Is he really as cool as you said he was?" Zao asked.

"Oh, he is. See for yourself. You'll get to see him soon!" Amara said, as she rang the doorbell. "Don't look so nervous! I already told Dad all about you!"

"What, even that time when I woke up and I had paint all over my face?" Zao said.

"No, I didn't bring that up. How did that paint get on you, anyway?" Amara asked. _He had blue and pink stripes over his cheeks, and a red nose...I must try not to touch paint when I'm drunk._

"I don't remember. Must have been one heck of a night. Oh, here he comes!" Zao said, standing up straight. If he had been wearing an army uniform, he would have looked the ideal soldier.

"Ah, here he is. You're looking sharp, Zao!" Rudo said, smiling. "Nice to meet you. I'm Rudo Furaha, Amara's father."

"I'm Zao Yuria. It's an honour to meet you, sir!" Rudo and him shook hands, and Amara felt pleased. They seemed at ease around each other, and she couldn't imagine anything going wrong.

"Don't stand there all day, you two! Make yourselves comfortable." Rudo said, as he lead them into the living room.

"Wow!" Zao said, leaping onto a chair. "This is the coolest house ever! Everything's so fancy - It's even better than Nathan's place!"

"Who's this Nathan?" Rudo asked.

"A friend. Don't you remember, I told you I went to his place for a barbecue?" Amara said, sighing. "Anyway, how's Tomas? I haven't seen him for a while!"

"He's fine. Actually, he's coming over too. When I told him your new boyfriend was coming over for dinner, he insisted on meeting him. Don't worry, Zao, they'll be plenty of fish for everyone." Rudo said.

"Sweet! What kind?" Zao asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"Salmon!" Rudo said. Zao looked a bit disappointed, as salmon wasn't his favourite type of fish. Still, he was already having fun - although Amara couldn't imagine him _not _having fun. It was yet another thing she adored about him.

_Aeternus Headquarters_

In the meeting room the Ater Vox frequented, all of them sans Nihane were seated around the round table. A Divine Spark was soon to arrive, and they were anxious awaiting it's arrival. The end of their efforts was approaching faster and faster after a lull that lasted an entire decade. They sat in stony silence, waiting for someone else to speak.

"Is Nihane going to be alright?" Nina said, finally breaking the long silence. "He was so angry yesterday, and I haven't seen him since! He wouldn't even respond when I knocked on his door..."

"Big deal, he never does." Pierre scoffed. "He never tells us anything."

"He certainly does tend to withold information. However, he has been more elusive than usual, which concerns me. It is clear to see that Nihane's personal ties to Amurdad mean more to him than we realised." Archibald said. Nina looked down, and sighed. "After all, if Amurdad had not been destroyed, he would have likely continued to live there, and the city would have flourished. Perhaps none of us would even be here."

"Interesting...in any case, we should respect his wishes and stay away from Inanis, for the time being. At least, not until the Nova Albion Divine Spark approaches." Carlos said.

"Yeah, but it's rather boring waiting for it to commence. Come on, we don't even know where it's gonna be yet!" Pierre groaned.

"There's no need to be so impatient, Pierre. We've narrowed it down to three locations, so we merely wait a few more days to determine which one it shall be." Archibald said. "Carlos, any updates on the Traesto incident?"

"None whatsoever. Clearly, whoever was capable of that power is also a master of hiding. We may be facing stronger opposition than we thought." Carlos said. "It is of little consequence, of course. For now, they lack the capacity to halt our activities."

"Speaking of which, I wanted to tell you about the progress on the 'Fusion' experiments. Of the fifteen candidates selected for Round 1, all of them became Shadows. Only five of them were able to fight back to a reasonable degree." Josephine said. "Not only that, it seems there is no way to revert the fusion."

"Wonderful! For once, all of you are working hard!"

Nihane Kronos stepped through the door, and took his seat. Nina breathed a sigh of relief, but he rolled his eyes in response.

"If the experiments are going as well as Josephine says, I think I know _exactly_ how to proceed with the Divine Spark. I've picked out several Ornatu Legion members to expose to the experiment. However, this time, we carry out the process in front of those fools." Nihane said, with a twisted look in his eyes.

"How come?" Pierre asked.

"Must you be so impatient, Pierre? Calm yourself. There's one in particular I'm keen to see undergo the fusion. He's already been through a rather intense sequence of tests, so now we can push him to his limits!" Nihane cackled.

"You don't mean -"

"That's right, Josephine. We subject Adrian Gale to his final evaluation."

_Furaha Household_

The doorbell rang, just as Rudo was showing Zao one of Amara's old drawings.

"That'll be Tomas. Allow me." Rudo said, as he walked over to the door.

"Tomas is your dad's business partner, right?" Zao asked.

"Yeah, that's right. He's pretty cool!" Amara said, relaxing back on her favourite chair. "Here he is! Stand up and introduce yourself!"

"Hello, Amara!" Tomas said. _That reminds me. My dad's other self is dead, but what happened to the other Thomas? Did he go into hiding? Wait, this isn't the time for that. _

"Hey! How've you been?" Amara asked.

"Same as ever. No one died, and nothing blew up, so all is well!" Tomas said. "Ah, this must be the fisherman Amara's going around with!"

"Yeah! I'm Zao Yuria! Good to meet ya!"

"Likewise. I am Tomas Weiken." Zao and Tomas shook hands. "Rudo tells me you're a fisherman working at Legarte Harbour. What's that like?"

"Well, me and the other guys are on a boat most of the day, usually around the harbour, but sometimes we'll be in Saragel. It's a bunch of older guys. I'm the only one under fifty there! See, my grandad's the legendary Deo Yuria! He caught a fish THIS big once!" Zao said, stretching out his arms.

"I see. It's nice to see you're following in his footsteps." Tomas said. "Of course, his footsteps were actually interesting to follow."

"Well, my job may be boring, but it certainly put food on the table. Speaking of which, it's time! First time more than two people have been in the dining room for a long time!" Rudo said.

"He must get lonely all by himself. Especially with such a freaking huge place!" Zao said.

"I suppose, but I do call him all the time. You've noticed that by now, right?" Amara said. "Come on, that salmon isn't going to eat itself!"

"Well of course not. Although that would be kind of badass." Zao said, his imagination running wild. The four of them sat down to dinner, ready for a somewhat interesting night.

_Shirley and Lucy's Apartment_

It had been a long weekend for Shirley and Lucy. The girls had received a visit from Shirley's parents, who weren't too happy about her still living with Lucy. They weren't particularly fond of Lucy, considering her a bully. Of course, the first time they met her, she had reduced Shirley to tears, so it wasn't the most favourable first impression to make.

Shirley had been hard at work with her piano tutoring as ever, and she still loved the soothing melodies her fingers made from the glorious instrument. However, she felt as if there was something else she could be doing with her life. When she was at the karaoke night with Amara and the other girls, she felt truly alive. Her singing had been the best out of the group, and she loved every minute of it.

Perhaps she should organise another night like that, just to be able to perform like that again. Maybe she could even perform in front of crowds, singing her favourite tunes all night long. Lucy simply laughed when Shirley told her - it wasn't the first time she felt like changing her path in life. Her parents gave her a lot of grief over this, too. Even so, she just wanted to sing.

"Hey, what are you up to?" Shirley said, as she tickled Lilith's belly. The black cat meowed, glad for the attention.

"Oh, just texting Karen. She was out with Roger earlier, at the theatre. She's like a different person after she got back with him! She was awesome before, but now she's like super ultra mega cool. And it helps that Roger is kind of cute - not as cute as Blaine, but he's still got it!" Lucy said.

"You and him are getting really close, huh?" Shirley said. She sat down besides Lucy, waiting for their favourite show _Crystal View _to start.

"I know. I never thought we'd get along so well! At first I thought he was just another man with a dirty mind, but he's so sweet." Lucy said, blissfully. "In fact, he's asked me to come to his house next Tuesday!"

"Wow, really? It's dangerous around there, though." Shirley said. "You will be careful, right? There's a lot of thugs around Kanaloa. Remember a few years back, when I told you about those guys who broke into that old lady's house?"

"That was pretty scary. But I'll be alright, Shirley! Actually, Blaine said that Dan guy he's always talking about will be there. So why don't you come, too?" Lucy said.

"Me? Well, I'd be worried about you going on your own. Go on then! If anyone tries to get in our way, I'll put those tae kwon do lessons to good use!" Shirley said, striking several poses with her legs high in the air. Lilith jumped onto Shirley's raised leg, and didn't want to let go.

"Well, it might work if they're allergic to cats!" Lucy said. She clapped her hands, and Lilith leapt off Shirley's leg and onto Lucy's lap. "You know, the girls in this show are such bitches to each other. Why can't they be like us?"

"I dunno...you're probably bitchy enough for the two of us!" Shirley said. "You're always whining about how dumb Colette is, or how big a pervert Juan is, or-"

"Oi!" Lucy said, tossing a cushion at Shirley. She simply kicked it right back at Lucy, with her refined technique, and got her in the face. The girls burst out laughing, as the jazzy tune for _Crystal View _started.

_The Mole_

"You're lookin' better today, man!" Blaine said, downing another glass.

"Sorry, big guy, I've just been having one of those weeks. So is Roger coming?" Dan asked.

"Nope, he's out with Karen the night. Lucky for him." Blaine said.

"Seriously? The dude's been out with her every night this week! One minute it's the theatre to see a play, the next it's to watch some shit adapted from a play!" Dan said. "Oh, I saw that Kyle kid earlier. You know, I bet he'll ask that Serena girl out any day now."

"Really? Well, it's pretty obvious he likes her. Trust me, no high school kid hangs out with a girl like that and is just her friend. Remember me and Trish?" Blaine said.

"Yeah, I remember. She pulled your pants down in front of the whole school. But I think we got our revenge with that prank call scheme. Same again?" Dan asked.

"Sure, but get me a double this time." Blaine said.

Just then, a familiar athletic man with ginger hair walked up to the bar, and stood behind Dan. Just as Dan was about to pay for the drinks, the man got out his own wallet.

"I'll get these. Oh, and I'll have a pint myself!"

Dan looked behind him in surprise, and Blaine stared in confusion. It was Karl, wearing a red jacket and blue jeans.

"Hey!" Blaine said, smiling. "Haven't seen you since that barbecue! How ya been?"

"Pretty good!" Karl said. "It's been a great start to the season. And I've gotten a lot of fan mail, mostly from teenage girls."

"Way to go!" Dan said, grinning. "Good lookin' guy like you must get all the fans screaming, right?"

"Um, yeah!" Karl said, sheepishly. "Well, they were screaming loud as hell last match. Everyone thought we were gonna lose, but then I managed a hat trick and we won!"

"Wait, how did your hat let you win a soccer match?" Blaine asked. Karl gave him an odd look, and he realised he had just said something incredibly foolish. Something they would not let him forget for a long, long time.

"You moron, he means three goals in a row!" Dan said, and he and Karl laughed heartily.

"So how come you're here, anyway? I thought guys like you went to all the cool clubs in Saragel?" Blaine asked, desperate to change the subject.

"I felt like a quiet drink for once. Besides, every time I got there…I know this makes me sound kind of a douche, but I'm always surrounded by girls when I go there. It sucks being popular sometimes!" Karl said.

"I should go sometime. Then all those chicks would be after me! No woman can resist this goatee!" Dan said.

"Dan, you haven't been out with a woman for years. The goatee isn't half as sexy as you think it is!" Blaine said, shaking his head.

"I dunno, it's not a bad look! When I first met Amara, I had a beard going on. It worked, too! Well, the fourth time I spoke to her, it did." Karl said, blushing.

"You sure it wasn't just her saying yes to get it over with?" Blaine joked. "Anyway, I met Lucy in here a while back. So even here, you can find some great girls!"

"Well, I'd rather stay single for the time being. I just thought me and Amara would be together forever, but…well, things got really bad. It's all my stupid fault, really." Karl said.

"Oh? What happened?" Dan asked.

"Well, I just kept getting worried about her. I dunno why, but every time she went off without saying something, I got crazy and ran all over trying to find her. Whenever she was late, I kept thinking something awful had happened to her…that sort of thing." Karl said, sadly. "To be honest, I…don't really want someone else."

"Is that right? Well, she's with that Zao guy now. Not much you can do about that." Dan said.

"Yeah, I know. If I could go back and stop myself from being that way, I would. No point talking that way now, though."

"Oh, cheep up. Sometimes these things happen! At least you two are still talking! Come on, we'll keep you company tonight. How about some darts?" Blaine said.

"Okay! Then if I win, you guys have to buy the next round!" Karl said, drinking his beer.

"Fine. There's a quiz here later on, so stick around! We'll need you for the sports round!" Dan said. Karl laughed, a bit happier now. "One sec. You guys ask about the darts!" he said, then he went to the bathroom (which was a lot less foul than the alternate Mole's).

"So, how are you and Lucy?" Karl asked.

"Great. I gotta say, ever since me and her met, I've felt better than I've done in years! Oh...I shouldn't say that in front of you, should I?" Blaine said.

"No, that's alright. It just hurts when I see Amara with Zao. Every time they're together, I feel jealous. Then when I think about it, I feel awful. Zao's such a good guy, so upbeat about everything. Getting angry at him feels so wrong..." Karl said, looking down at the floor. Blaine didn't quite know what to say. If it were him and Dan in this position, he'd probably beat the crap out of him.

"Listen, dude, you're still young. I used to think I'd be a lifelong bacherlor, but look what happened. So just...wait a bit longer!" Blaine eventually said.

"Thanks, man. I'm glad I came out tonight. Now then, darts. My aim is unbeatable! Get ready to lose!" Karl said, clenching his fists. Blaine chuckled, ready for another battle.

_Reginald Albion's Manor, Nova Albion_

The Albion family home was one of the most exquisite manors in Nova Albion, a district partly famed for it's sprawling estates. It had been in the family for countless generations, and apart from modern renovations such as a swimming pool, a tennis court, and other leisure activities, it had barely changed at all. In his childhood years, his father invited many friends to enjoy these new facilities, and each time it was a blast. Reginald really knew how to host a party, more so than Nathan did. Nathan moved out some time ago, but he knew that he stood to inherit the family home someday. When that time came, he would be head of the family. Another generation would begin, with him at the helm.

Nathan hadn't visited his father at his home for a long time. They saw each other at work every day, so it wasn't like he rarely spoke to him. However, he had finally mustered the courage to come round. He couldn't stand not knowing the truth. Every second he thought about it, it sent a shiver down his spine. The notion that his father could betray his mother seemed impossible, but the letter he still had in his pocket was proof.

Knocking on the door, he waited anxiously. Any other day, he would have been happy to come to his childhood home, but now he couldn't help but think sordid thoughts. If his father could have one mistress, who was to say he didn't have more? He had been in university for quite some time. Eventually, his father came to the door.

"Nathan! What brings you here, lad? Don't you see me enough at the office?" Reginald said, with a warm smile. His good mood wavered, as he noticed Nathan's indignant stare. "What's the matter, fellow? Where's that lovely Priscilla hiding?"

"She's not here. I wanted a word with you alone, father. Can I come in?" Nathan asked.

"You don't have to ask. Come in, I'll bring you some of your favourite ginger ale." Reginald said. Nathan walked inside, and sat down in the grand living room. _Josephine could have been here_, he thought. That prospect made him feel sick.

"Alright, what on earth is going on? You're acting a bit strange tonight. You show up alone, barely speak, and you've got a face like thunder! Don't tell me you two had a lover's quarrel." Reginald said.

"Oh, and you'd know about those, wouldn't you?!" Nathan shouted.

"Don't you dare raise your voice to your father! Me and your mother, god rest her soul, had our share of arguments, but we always found a way to solve them!" Reginald said.

"Dad, I can't keep it a secret anymore. I found this!" Nathan furiously pulled out the letter, and shoved it into his father's wrinkled hand. "It's real, isn't it?!" Reginald read the letter, and his eyes widened with horror. It clearly was familiar to him, every word of it.

"How did you find this?" Reginald asked.

"It doesn't bloody matter! Father, how could you?" Nathan asked. He didn't notice, but tears were running down his face.

"This is ancient history. Me and your mother had a fight, the worst one of our marriage. You weren't there. It was when you were at Priscilla's, studying for an upcoming test. I was convinced she wanted a divorce...we both said some rather hateful things that night." Reginald said.

"So you made a pass at one of your employess?!" Nathan shouted.

"Keep your voice down, lad! I did not exactly make a pass at her. Josephine Johnson was new to the organisation, and she was a wonderful asset. She knew her job better than I did, and I always liked to come to her office and thank her for a job well done. Actually, the company could have been in real trouble if it weren't for her." Reginald said.

Nathan didn't say anything, but all he could think about was his dad and Josephine in the office, kissing each other. It made him shudder, and he just noticed the tears falling from his eyes. He quickly wiped them away, but his father had likely already noticed.

"We got talking. Josephine had just lost her husband, and she was all on her own. I tried to comfort her, and offered to share a drink with her that night. That was when it all started. We were both rather inebriated, and she kissed me. I was still angry with your mother, so I didn't feel guilty...at first." Reginald said.

"How long did it last?" Nathan asked. "Why _her_, of all people?!"

"It finished years ago! In fact, when she left, she went to join Aeternus. So me and your mother stayed together, and she and I never spoke again." Reginald said. "After me and Josephine ended our affair, I tried to make it work with your mother. We did, but I never got around to telling her the truth."

"She never knew?" Nathan asked.

"Of course not. I couldn't tell her that for all these years, I was with another woman. I nearly lost her once before, and I couldn't lose her again. Even after you left home for university, I still couldn't do it. Now she's no longer with us…all I can hope for is her forgiveness." Reginald said.

"Father...I can't believe this..."

"I know. Everyone always thought me and your mother had the perfect relationship behind closed doors. It was a lot more turbulent than you think, but I swear on her grave I loved that woman. Nathan, please don't hate me for this. It's in the past now." Reginald.

"Not for me, it isn't!" Nathan said, standing up. "Dad, I'm sorry! I can't get my head round this... I have to go!"

"Nathan, I-"

"Don't try and stop me! I can't look at you right now!" Reginald watched as Nathan stormed out of the house. Hearing about his father reminiscing about that despicable temptress was too much to bear. Perhaps it would have been better, not knowing the truth. Now, every time he turned up to work, he'd have to face his father, and he could never think of him the same.

_Josephine Johnson, I'll kill you for this! I swear it!_

_Furaha Household, Diving Room_

"That was delicious!" Zao said. "Mr Furaha, this salmon was the best I've ever tasted. I don't think even my grandpa could beat it!"

"Relax, Zao, there's no need to call me that. I'm Rudo. And I've always had a talent for cooking! Which Amara didn't inherit, it seems!" Rudo said.

"Come on, Dad, a lot of things can go wrong when you microwave meals!" Amara said, groaning.

"How did she survive when she was in college?" Zao asked.

"She just went to the burger joint most nights." Tomas said, amused.

"The only reason I ask her to come here is so she can get a good meal once a week!" Rudo joked. Tomas and Zao both laughed, as Amara's face turned red.

"Guys, knock it off! I'm not that bad! At least I have someone to teach me now." Amara said, looking at Zao.

"Huh? Me? Well, it couldn't hurt, right?" Zao said.

"Don't be so sure, Zao. The girl can't even boil an egg." Rudo said. "Perhaps that's why they call them starving artists!"

"Speaking of which, how's your new job going? It's been about two months, yes?" Thomas said.

"Yep! It's been wonderful, actually. Ever since it started, a lot of great things have happened. It's been hard work, though. And some of my co-workers can be a pain. Still, I've learned a lot from working there." Amara said, smiling.

"Reminds me of you and your father. We never got along at first - it got so bad, we got into a fist fight outside the building." Tomas said, fondly.

"You sound a little _too_ happy about that." Zao said, with a look of incredulity.

"I know it sounds strange, but afterwards, we just kind of felt we had let go of our animosity. So we started talking, and lo and behind, we become friends." Thomas said. "In fact, that was the day I first met you, Amara. Didn't you notice the bruises on our faces?"

"Oh, that's what those were?" Amara said. She did recall them looking a little worse for wear, but she was just so happy that her father was slowly becoming his cheery old self. This was several months after her mother had passed away, and Amara remembered that she started to cope with the loss sooner than her father. Something had happened that made her realise how lucky she was.

"Well, it was quite a while back. You were such a cute girl back then, always drawing in that notebook of yours!" Tomas said. "Of course, you haven't changed that much."

"Yeah - she's still cute!" Zao said. "C'mere!" Right in front of her father and Thomas, he kissed Amara tenderly on the lips.

"Well! Nice to see he's as romantic as the last one." Tomas said.

"Looks like he's a keeper." Rudo said. "I'd like to declare a toast. To Amara, my wonderful daughter!"

"To Amara!" Zao and Tomas both called, as the three men clinked their glasses.

"Guys, come on. I'm just an artist for a magazine! Anyway, did you see that episode of _Happy Hour_ last night?" Amara said.

Soon, the dinner party turned to idle banter, over the oil corporation, Zao's grandfather, and even what Karl was doing. Rudo had been fond of Karl, but he seemed even more approving of Zao. The idea that he wouldn't like her new boyfriend, especially so soon after her last break-up, was no longer an issue. Now, she had everything she wanted.

Zao made her feel happiness like never before. To see him smile was hardly a rare occurrence, but she looked forward to it nevertheless. His carefree attitude, his gentle touch, and his love of the sea made her love him even more. She couldn't ask for a more perfect man.

However, she once felt the exact same way about Karl. Before he become overprotective, he too made every day with him a moment of absolute bliss. He wasn't quite as easy going as Zao was, and had a competitive streak, but seeing that radiant ginger hair made her heart race every time. When she ended their relationship, she had never felt so alone. For countless nights, she asked herself - had she thrown away her chance at true love?

Now, she realised she hadn't. Zao was her second chance, and she was determined not to waste it. She couldn't afford to fall to the Shadows now - in her eyes, she would destroy all of Aeternus and go home, holding Zao's hand.

"So Rudo, did you catch that fish yourself?" Zao asked, teasingly.

"That'll be the day! No, I ordered it in specially. It's one of the perks of being a millionaire." Rudo said, grinning. Amara laughed, as they began eating the red velvet cake.

_I wish every night could be perfect like this. I don't need anything else._


	44. Chapter 44: The Silent Wind

**Chapter 44: The Silent Wind**

_Lucille Valley High School_

Today was the first day of a new school year. For many students, this would be their first proper day at the institution. For Serena, however, it was the first day of her final year as a high school student. After that, she had no idea what could happen. Perhaps she would go to college like Kyle, or follow an entirely different path. She could become an author, or find a new vocation.

"It's strange being here after all this time, isn't it?" Kyle said, as they went past the trophy cabinet near the entrance.

"Yeah, but it's good to be back. It's better than staying at home, that's for sure." Serena said, smiling. "I can't wait to graduate, then I'll be free from those idiots for good!"

"It won't be easy finding another place to stay, you know. Just make sure it's wheelchair accessible, okay?" Kyle said.

"Of course! I need someone to visit me so I don't get lonely, don't I?" Serena said. "Anyway, what have we got first?"

"Geography. So another session with Mr Kierkegaard. I hate it when he cleans his teeth in the middle of class."

"Me too. At the very least, he could leave him in his mouth. After that, we've got -"

"Hey guys!" A boy with blue spiky hair said. It was Lucas O'Neil, the star of the school's track team.

"Hello, Lucas! How was your summer?" Serena asked.

"It was absolutely amazing. I was in that marathon last month, and we raised hundreds for the blind. In fact, they've asked me to come to the meet next month." Lucas said, smiling.

"Oh. Cool." Kyle said, without a flicker of sincerity in this voice.

"Well, we didn't get up to anything that exciting. Still, we're back here for one more year. Then we're free!" Serena said.

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it! See you in class, I gotta meet Mr Ramsay." Lucas said, sprinting away.

"That guy kind of pisses me off. He's _always_ on about the damn track team. I bet he's never studied a day in his life." Kyle said, bitterly.

"Oh, come on, he's not that bad. You should talk to him sometime! Maybe you have more in common than you think!" Serena said.

"I doubt it. Guy just spends his all his time running around or hanging out with all the other athletes. Anyway, we're going to the library after school, right?" Kyle said.

"Oh...yeah." Serena said. "Well, time to get to class! From now on, we're responsible senior students!"

"Yes, 'responsible'. I guess I can't spend my lunch break watching anime in the computer lab this year. Well, maybe now and again...but if you catch me at it, keep quiet." Kyle said, now smiling. The two of them chatted loudly on the way to class, eager to begin their last year of high school.

_Albion Incorporated, Entrance_

For the first time in his life, Nathan dreaded coming to work. However, he was too proud to skip just because of a dispute with his father. Priscilla knew him too well to not notice the signs of inner turmoil, but Nathan refused to confess what was really happening. She had already asked him multiple times, as they made their way into the famous headquarters.

"Nathan, what did happen last night?" Priscilla asked. "You left without saying where you were going, then you came back without saying a word!"

"It really is nothing. I just had a falling out with...someone." Nathan said, blankly.

"Nathan, please-"

"I told you, it's nothing! Just leave me alone for now, okay?" Nathan shouted, loudly. Everyone, even Joe Kowalski, stared.

"...Alright, Nathan. I'll see you at lunch time." Priscilla said, after a long silence. Nathan sighed, and before he could get to the elevator, Joe tapped him on the shoulder. This was the last thing he needed. Often, Joe had tried to get Nathan to talk to him, despite Nathan's disapproval of his lateness. Nathan had always been cold to him, and that wasn't going to change today.

"Yes, Kowalski?" Nathan said.

"It's Joe. You're always so formal, Nathan! Come on, don't be such a stiff!" Joe said.

"Joe, just because you treat this place as a playground doesn't mean everyone has to." Nathan said. "Actually, you're on time for once. I trust your bad habit is broken?"

"Well, I'm trying. It's hard. I've had a lot of problems to deal with. Looks like you have as well..." Joe said, looking worried. "What's up?"

"If you must know, I had a bit of an argument with my father last night. I don't want to tell anyone the details, but -"

"Your father's not ill, is he?" Joe said, suddenly concerned.

"No, it's not about his health. I'd rather not discuss it now, I have a meeting to get to. Goodbye for now." Nathan said.

"Wait! Just one more thing. Don't take out your anger on Priscilla, okay? She's the woman everyone here likes the most, and...well, everybody would get sad if you two broke up." Joe said.

"We are _not_ going to break up, Joe! I don't need this right now. Please, get to work. Do not tell _anyone_ what I told you about my father. Got that?" Nathan said, glaring into Joe's eyes. He'd never been this angry with Joe until day, and he couldn't help himself.

"Okay, I won't. Have a good day." Joe said, glumly. Nathan went into the elevator, and sighed. Joe had been perfectly civil to him, even if he had been something of a slacker since the day he was hired. Maybe later, Nathan would apologise to him. Perhaps it was silly to hold a grudge over something that happened nearly two decades ago. Even so, Nathan didn't want to look at his father right now.

Tonight, he'd return to the other world, and fight Shadows with all his strength. _No matter what happens in my world, I can't let that stop me from saving the other!_

_Real People Offices_

"Still looking good, Karen!" Lucy said, as Karen entered. Her skin still had the healthy glow from her vacation, and ever since she got back, she had been happy as can be.

"Why thank you, Lucy. I must say, we've been doing great the last couple of weeks. Everyone really cares what we're writing about, judging from the feedback we've received. Apparently, Sheila's advice stopped a couple from breaking up over spilt milk - literally." Karen said.

"Well, I aim to please!" Sheila said. "Seems like you won't need my advice, though. You and Roger have been out every night since you got back."

"I know! He's just been so charming. He keeps finding new plays for us to go see, new recitals to listen to, and he even scours the internet for the rarest theatre DVDs he can find! It helps that he can afford them, too." Karen said, giggling.

"Roger's a lucky fellow." Juan said. "Colette, come on, can't you let me be lucky too? _Please_?"

"I can't, Juan, I don't have any clothes you haven't seen me in - wait, I've got that green dress. Okay then, let's go out tonight!" Colette said, laughing.

"Really, Juan? You're that desperate for a girl who can't go five minutes without skipping all the way to the mall to buy a new wardrobe? Honestly..." Lucy said. Colette looked down, and kept quiet. She and Lucy hadn't been very friendly towards each other lately.

"Play nice, now! Back to work, everyone!" Karen said, walking to her office.

"Well, it seems you're not the only one who thinks ill of Lucy." Stella said, amused.

"Don't look so happy about it. I have to work with her! And I can't complain about her too much, she's going out with Blaine! And I don't want to piss him off..." Amara said.

"Good, because from what I can see, they'll be together for quite a while. I can't determine how long, though. Literally anything could happen. It isn't a shallow bond, though. It's stronger than that. Forget about her for now, Amara. I wanted to tell you about my latest reading." Stella said.

"Your latest reading? Oh yeah, it's been a while. I hope Priscilla hasn't been forcing you to predict any more stuff about her co-workers."

"It isn't that. Thankfully, she hasn't found her way to my house. Being in Kanaloa has some advantages. Actually, it's about the Divine Sparks you were telling me about." Stella said, seriously.

"The Sparks?! What about them? We know the next one is in Nova Albion, but -"

"That's correct. My reading is as follows. 'Those who Call the Shadows with their Dark Voice travel along the Road of Eternity. Three paths stand before them. The journey halts, and as time passes, only one path remains.'"

"Those who call the Shadows...sounds like the Ater Vox." Amara said.

"'The lady of the moonlight, in her quest for knowledge, shall uncover an arcane tome. With this, she and the her comrades will uncover the true stepping stone on the road to eternity. There, familiar faces shall be turned to darkness, and a promise shall be made that can never be kept.'" Stella said.

"I don't get it. Promise?" Amara asked.

"I wish I understood that part. All I know is that Serena is the lady of the moonlight, and she must find a book in the school library that tells where the Divine Sparks are." Stella said. "Of course, you'll have to ask her about that tonight. Familiar faces could mean anything, but I have a feeling they aren't your companions in either world. Perhaps enemies."

"This whole thing is crazy. Can we stop the Divine Spark at all?" Amara asked, anxious.

"The spirits are vague on that one, too. If you could stop this one, and the next two, then reversed the other three, then you would be well on your way to eliminating the Shadows. For now, all you can do is keep following what Aeternus do." Stella said.

"Colette, what are you doing?" Lucy said, looking at Colette's desk.

"I was doing research on the Rosa Candida catalogue! I swear!" Colette said, gazing into Lucy's angry eyes.

"Really? Then why is your 'research' thanking you for your purchase of a bangle and earring set?" Lucy said, exasperated. "Just because you're online doesn't mean you can mess around. Honestly, it's like I'm the only one here who's taking this seriously!"

"That's not true, Lucy. We're just able to have fun as we work. Try it sometime, and maybe we'd like you more." Amara said, snidely. Lucy looked at her, surprised, and simply walked away to her own desk.

"Thanks, Amara. I can't stand talking to Lucy anymore. She thinks she's so important because she's an assistant editor! I wish she was more like Karen, or just anyone!" Colette said.

"Don't let her get to you. She's just a workaholic type." Stella said, looking over at Lucy's desk. She was typing vigorously on her computer, but she didn't seem as enthusiastic as before.

"Hey, Colette, want to go to the mall after work today?" Amara said. She didn't really enjoy clothes shopping - at least not to the rather fanatic level of Colette - but she figured the fashion guru could use some cheering up. Besides, she was meeting the others there later, before the next trip to the other world.

"That'd be great! Amara, there's a gorgeous navy dress I think Zao would love. To see you in, not to wear. Unless there's something you haven't told us about." Colette said. "It's perfect for early August!"

"I'll have to check it out. I suspect there's a dress for late August you'll want me to get, too. Not to mention the middle." Amara said. The girls laughed, as Lucy looked away. Amara could have sworn she saw her rubbing her eyes...but she returned to her work for the time being.

_Lucille Valley High School, Library_

Kyle and Serena entered their favourite part of the school - the library. Since it was the place they became friends, they loved coming here to reminisce. Serena was looking through the old and battered books at the back, the ones no one ever looked at. In fact, they were just there to fill up space, according to the librarian. She warned her not to touch them, as books of that age could easily be damaged. Kyle sat at their table, reading a math textbook.

"Hey, what's this one?" Serena said, as she saw a book with a dark brown spine. There were black spots that at one time, would have read the title of the book. Alas, the name of the text was lost. When she took it out, however, it did not crumble apart as she feared. It was still fairly robust.

She took another gamble, and opened the book to around the middle. A lot of the text was still visible, some words slightly faded. The pages were yellowish, and at the top of each of them was 'Tales of Motus Island'.

"Wow, sounds like Namco Bandai are taking their inspiration from some different places. I bet this one won't get localized..." Serena said to herself. But to her horror, she recognised a name on the page. "Nihane Kronos?"

"Serena, what's up?" Kyle asked.

"N-Nothing! I just wanted to check out one of these old books! This one's fine, don't worry!" Serena replied.

"Okay, but don't let Mrs Reid know you touched it. You know how much she respects old books." Kyle said, going back to his own book. "Euclidean algorithm...hmm."

Serena quietly sat down, and began reading. The part she was at was dated at 1712, although the book wasn't written until 1850. There was a note before the extract that stated this was a fantasy tale, written by 'Eugene Dwight'. When he passed away, the 'tale' was found on his person. Strange...why would he carry it with him at the mtime of his death?

The story began with Eugene entering a 'disgusting town straight from the underworld, a land of sin and depravity'. Serena felt sick, just imagining the amount of hatred one person could feel for an entire village. Then she realised. This had to have been...Amurdad. The lost area of New Motus City, where Kanaloa now stood. Serena kept reading, her hands shaking. Eugene described 'witchcraft dances', which apparently were supposed to awaken the devil inside their 'black hearts' and unleash chaos upon the entire planet. Even tiny, innocent children, in Eugene's eyes, were twisted beings - not even human. This was...horrible. Serena could never have felt that way about anyone in her life, not even her parents. Sure, she hated them, and rarely interacted with them, but she never would have spoken of them that way. Eugene was a terrible man, that she was sure of.

What sickened Serena the most was his graphic details of the destruction of Amurdad. No one was spared, not even the elderly, the children, or pregnant women. Every single inhabitant was a dirty, filthy mass of impurity that had to be cleansed from the world, to make it a holy planet again. Eugene stated that although he never found Nihane Kronos, he was sure he perished in the burning flames that engulfed his home.

_Our ancestors...I'm ashamed to have descended from these people._

Serena then read the next paragraph. A brutal, horrific tragedy struck the Cathedral in Farawell. A brotherhood of priests were found murdered - and Eugene spared no details on the state of their corpses. They were torn to pieces, blood staining every inch of the defiled place of worship. It must have taken a very long time to erase all the gore...perhaps the entire Cathedral had to be rebuilt. Eugene then said that from beyond the grave, Nihane had laid waste to the priests, hungry for vegeance.

_Wait a second. Nihane Kronos fled the island, right? So it couldn't have been him. _

Eugene then spoke of a naval base, in Legarte. The soldiers there were close, treating each other like family. They were known for their extreme dedication in protecting their comrades. Shortly after the fall of Amurdad, however, the soldiers there became slowly insane, lashing out at each other, and refusing to leave the base. Their insanity grew to it's absolute limit, and the soldiers murdered each other, just as graphically as the way the priests died. This scandal caused chaos to erupt in the streets of Legarte, resulting in many civilian casualties - and once again, Eugene blamed this on Nihane Kronos.

As if these tragedies were not enough, Eugene then went onto another scene of brutality, in Takanawa. A 'King', who lived in a castle, had declared himself as the righteous ruler of the city. Everyone else laughed off his claims. He apparently had an idea - move his small group of followers to Amurdad, and build a new Kingdom, one that would surpass the other city districts. Before he could carry out his delusions of grandeur, however, the castle suddenly was destroyed, with everyone in it. Eugene didn't seem to have very much information on this particular incident, however.

It finally hit Serena - these locations were the same as the Divine Spark areas. The Cathedral and the Castle...both were now in Inanis, alongside the ruins of Amurdad. And it stood to reason there was on in Legarte, too.

_Naval base? Is there really one in Legarte? If so, where? I've never heard of one..._

Serena briefly looked around to make sure no one was looking. All she saw were Catherine, the foreign exchange student from North Carolina, and Kyle. The latter was hard at work trying to decipher some algorithm. She very carefully snuck the book into her bag, hiding it behind her notepad.

"So what was that book about, anyway?" Kyle asked. "You looked pretty creeped out when you were reading it."

"It _was_ creepy. Um...it was some guy talking about lots of murders around the early 18th century." Serena said, nervously.

"Oh yeah, I think I read about that in class. Something about the 'lost period'. Where there's a long part of our island's history that's kind of vague. Some say it's because something happened then that the people at the time wanted to forget." Kyle said. "Creepy, huh? Who knows what kind of dark and sinister secrets lurk beneath the very foundations of our society!" he said, in a creepy voice.

"You never know, Kyle. Right beneath our feet, there could be an ancient burial ground." Serena said. She giggled as Kyle leapt up with fright, and Catherine laughed as well.

"You've been playing too many of those games, you know that?" Catherine said, still laughing.

_Maybe I have. But what's happening with me is far from a game. _

Serena sat back down, and started reading some revision notes. This was going to be a long day...

_Ray Solar Mall, Rosa Candida_

"Ah, there you are! You finally brought that Egyptian friend round!" the sales assistant said, dashing over to Colette. _So I'm the 'Egyptian Friend' now?_

"Yep! I told you, there's an awesome dress here that would look so great on her. You still have it, right?" Colette asked.

"Sorry, we sold it earlier. You won't believe who bought it! The owner of the mall, Mr Martin!" the sales assistant, whose name badge read 'Jennifer', said.

"Wow, Roger did? Karen _is _lucky." Amara said.

"Come on, Jenny! You know I had my eye on it!" Colette said. "Please tell me you're getting more?"

"Actually, yes. It's one of our popular summer items. I can pre-order you one, if you want!" Jenny said, flipping open a catalogue. "Here. You like it, miss…"

"It's Amara. And I do! It's better than any of my dresses, at least the ones I can find in my apartment!" Amara said, laughing. "Okay, I'll get it. How much?"

"Let me pay for it. You were really cool earlier when you stood up to Lucy, so this is my way of saying thanks!" Colette said. "Oh, and while we're at it, I want that pink dress."

"I figured you would! Okay, I'll call you when we get them in. Anything else?" Jenny said.

"Nope! Come on, let's go check out _Paradise Loft_!" Colette said. "They've got a great selection of tops there!"

"I'd love to, but I'm meeting some friends for dinner here. Why don't you come over and say hi?" Amara said.

"Well...sure!" Colette said. The two of them left Rosa Candida, and made their way to the food court. "Hey...I'm sorry if I'm boring you. I just really love clothes!"

"That's okay. I'm the same with art." Amara said. "At least we both have an eye for colour!"

"Exactly! Come on, let's find your friends!" Colette said.

_Bar Seoul_

Amara soon saw the gang sitting at the table. She ran over, with Colette behind her. "Hey, everyone!"

"Oh, hello Amara. Who's this?" Nathan asked.

"I'm Colette Hamilton! We work at the magazine together!" Colette said, glancing at Serena. "Wow! That is one gorgeous necklace, miss!"

"Thank you. Oh, is this the fashion fanatic?" Serena said.

"That's right!" Amara said, grinning. "Colette, this is Serena. That's Nathan, and that's Blaine."

"Wait, _the_ Blaine?" Colette said. "The one going out with Lucy? He's cuter than I thought he'd be!"

"Easy there, madam, I'm spoken for! And so is this guy." Blaine said, pointing towards Nathan.

"Eh, he's not my type! Curly hair is so not fashionable right now. I gotta go now, so see you tomorrow!" Colette said, dashing off - and straight into _Paradise Loft_.

"You have some interesting colleagues, Amara." Nathan said. He started to feel his hair, and looked a little worried.

"I know. She bought me a dress, though, so I can't complain." Amara said, sitting down. "So, another evening eating weird food, right?"

"Yeah. At least they're not playing that fucking annoying song today." Blaine said. Right that second, the familiar sound of _Gangnam Style _played on the speaker system. "...I have to hear that at work, and I have to hear it when I'm not at work. The things you have to endure for a paycheck in this day and age."

_Secret Base_

"Good to see you all again." Roger said. "We're still trying to work out where the next Divine Spark is gonna happen-"

"No need! I think this will tell us exactly where we need to go." Serena said. Amara just noticed she had taken her schoolbag with her. _Oh yeah, she's back at school now - but why would Serena know where they are?_

Serena took off the bag, and pulled out a large and battered book. She opened it, and soon read out what seemed to the diary of a traveller called Eugene Dwight. Sure enough, the places he mentioned sounded a lot like the Divine Sparks.

"Incredible! Each of the Divine Sparks were stages to a truly horrific spectacle. Both the Cathedral and the Castle were host to these massacres. Serena, tell us! Where is the Nova Albion Divine Spark?" Seraphina asked.

"Don't you know?" Zao asked.

"I do not know everything that will come to pass. However, I am very capable of psychological torture, if you want to test my abilities..." Seraphina said.

"Um, n-no! Anything but that! Read on, Serena!" Zao said, backing away.

"Is he seriously a year older than me?" Matthew asked.

"He's very carefree, I guess..." Tara said, shaking her head.

"From what Eugene says, the Nova Albion Divine Spark is in a mansion that belonged to a 'Donatella' family. They apparently used to feud with the Albions for control over the island." Serena said.

"I don't remember anything like that. Unless that's something _else_ my father kept secret." Nathan said, bitterly.

"What do you mean? Oh, the thing about Josephine..." Blaine said.

"Let's not dwell on that for now. We need to figure out where the Donatella Mansion was located. Kyle, we're counting on you!" Nathan said.

"Got it! Here we go -"

"No, wait! I already know where it is! When I was really young, my mother found some old portrait in the basement of this creepy man called Oliver Donatella." Tara said. "It's my old place! Remember, we went inside and there were a lot of dead vagrants around?"

"That place?!" Dan shouted. "Well, it was pretty fucking creepy. Looks like we're going, then!"

"Yeah! Let's stop the Divine Spark, before Aeternus even knows about it!" Amara shouted.

"Hold on! We don't know they know nothing about it. Remember, the Ornatu Legion were in Nova Albion because they narrowed it down to that district!" Roger said.

"We need to be careful. Remember in Tachibana University, Nihane almost killed us. We can't risk that again." Priscilla said.

"Alright, alright! We'll be ready for anything we face! I'm not going to lose this time!" Zao said, running towards the NDD. "You guys are coming, right?"

"Well, someone's got to stop you from doing anything stupid." Dan said. The team chuckled as they made their way through the NDD, to return to Tara's family home.

_Miller Mansion, Nova Albion_

The mansion felt exactly the same as it did before. At one time, Amara was sure it would have been just as fabulous and elegant as her own family home, if not more. She had never mingled with either Tara or Nathan before now, but perhaps if she was closer to their age she might have well been part of their social circle. Now, the place was in shambles.

"Tara, are you okay with coming here? Once a Divine Spark takes place, the building is completely destroyed." Amara said. "If you don't want to watch it, then-"

"Don't try to talk me out of it. This place is already ruined, thanks to those Shadows. There's no point dwelling on the past. I just wish I could have seen my parents one last time...that's the only regret I have." Tara said.

"Tara, don't push yourself." Matthew said.

"What are you, my life coach?" Tara said, smirking. "Come on, let's check this place out again. There's three basement floors to this mansion. We never really used them before, but I bet the Donatella family kept a lot of creepy stuff there. Aimee, you can split us up!"

"Alright then. I'll check out the first basement with Zao, Roger and Karen." Aimee said.

"Sweet! I get to go with the lovebirds!" Zao said, grinning.

"Zao, you'd be happy regardless of who I put you with..." Aimee said, sighing. Everyone else shook their heads, too, but Amara quietely laughed to herself. "Moving on. Dan, Priscilla, Seraphina and Kyle can check out the middle basement-"

"Wait, can I go with my brother?" Matthew interjected. "Please Please Please?"

"Yes, of course." Aimee said, smiling. "I don't see why not, and Dan wouldn't like it if I said no."

"Damn straight! No one's splitting up the Kingsley Brothers again!" Dan said, standing tall and proud.

"Okay, then Amara and the others can go to the bottom basement. Tara, you're with them." Aimee said.

"Fine with me. I've never really checked out the basement before, but my parents said there's a lot of old stuff. Like that painting I told you about, as well as lots of antiques. They kept them there for a rainy day, but...I guess that's pointless now." Tara said. "Why am I getting all sad? We've got work to do. We're stopping the Divine Sparks, and we're not going to let Nihane have his way!"

_First Basement, Aimee's Team_

"Tara's house is so huge!" Zao said, scampering ahead. "Wow, look at this coffee table!"

"You idiot, there's nothing unusual about that table!" Roger said. "It's just old!"

"Yeah, exactly! It's like on that antique auction show they always have on after lunch." Zao said, beaming. "I used to watch it with grandpa all the time. I was yawning, bored as hell, but he always told me that there was a story to every -"

"IT'S A SHADOW!" Karen called.

"Wait, what -"

The coffee table soon revealed it's true colours - another one of the 'Table' Shadows, covered in a tablecloth and numerous objects floating around it. A couple of spells soon defeated it, and Zao breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was scary. Thank god we noticed it, or it could have snuck up on us!" Zao said.

"You were just rambling about your damn grandpa! If Karen hadn't said anything, you'd be toast!" Roger said.

"Zao, please be more careful!" Aimee said.

"You guys keep picking on me..." Zao said, wandering off. The team continued checking the rooms, fighting Shadows along the way. Zao still hadn't progressed beyond his initial elemental spells, but he did make use of the ability to seal an enemy's healing powers. All he wanted was to prove he could fight at the same level as everyone else. If he got stronger, Amara and Aimee wouldn't have to fight so hard.

_Second Basement, Matthew's Team_

"Dan, how did you survive for so long, with things the way they are now?" Matthew asked. "I mean, without a Persona, you're fucked!"

"...I see the bad language _is _a family trait." Priscilla said, unpleased.

"Oh! I'm sorry about that, Miss Priscilla. I heard worse language when I was growing up, believe me."

"Well, that doesn't surprise me. Kanaloans certainly have a way with words. After spending two years with Daniel, I've become used to it." Kyle said.

"Even so, it's not that nice to hear someone so young talk like that..." Priscilla said.

"Oh, relax! He's a big boy now! To answer your question, I just kinda did what I had to do. Mostly running away screaming, or hiding in bars. By the time Kyle found me, I was just another homeless bum, like the ones we used to see out the front window." Dan said.

"I, too, am familiar with the experiences Dan speaks of." Seraphina said.

"You are? That means - Wait, look over there!" Priscilla said, pointing ahead. In the darkness, which was only slightly illuminated with a bare light bulb, there was something strange in the distance. A human-like form, but it was more like a silhouette.

"The hell? Is that supposed to be a Shadow?" Matthew asked.

"It's not got one of the twelve masks, nor does it resemble any type of Shadow I have on file." Kyle said. "It's clearly not human, either."

"Actually, Kyle, it is. Or rather, it _was_." Seraphina said.

"It was?!" Priscilla shouted.

"Do you recall the man clad in bandages we uncovered back in the sixth month? That, Kyle, is the very same one!" Seraphina said. She stepped back, arms raised.

"So what happened to this guy?" Matthew asked. "Aeternus do some freaky experiments on him?"

"Looks like it. And he doesn't look too happy to see us." Dan said, as the figure stood up. Apart from blue glowing eyes, no detail could be made out. He raised a bladed stick weapon, and a red aura surrounded him.

"Let's put him out of his misery. It's better if we finish him off before the Divine Spark does." Priscilla said, raising her staff.

"We can't do anything to help him?" Matthew asked. Everyone else took out their weapons, and they were all ready to summon their Personas. "I wanted to save lives, not take them...but I don't have a choice."

Matthew took out his knives, as the shadowy figure charged at the group. It was without a hint of humanity left.

_Bottom Basement, Amara's team_

Whilst the others were exploring the basement - which was densely populated, filled with many locked doors and empty boxes - Amara and Blaine were alone, checking the main room.

"Hey, what's wrong with Nathan? He doesn't look so good today." Amara said.

"Oh, he always looks like that. Maybe all he needs is a good haircut." Blaine said.

"What, like yours? Lucy was going on about how cute your hair looked, so perhaps it's not such a bad idea!" Amara said.

"Well, I just have that bad boy charm!" Blaine said, grinning.

"Please, you're about as bad as a ballerina." Amara said. Blaine quietly chuckled, as the two of them continued their search. Serena was trying to open a door, Nathan was musing to himself, and Tara looked anxious as she walked ahead.

"Hey, Amara. I heard you were a bit harsh with Lucy earlier." Blaine said, serious.

"Oh...I'm sorry. I know you said I should get along with her, but -"

"Relax, would ya? Maybe you have a point. She's always focused on her work, and she probably could lighten up a little. Just don't be so hard on her, okay? She sounded really sad over the phone..." Blaine said.

"I'll try. It's just hard to get along with her, you know? I just want to have fun when I'm at work, hanging out with the girls. Oh, and Juan." Amara said.

"Well, trust me, there's a good side to Lucy. I'm not asking you to be her best friend or anything, but maybe just hang out with her once in a while." Blaine said. "Don't look so worried. We're still friends, you and me."

"I know. The day we first met, you got into a brawl just so you could give me this necklace back. You didn't have a clue who I was, but you did it anyway. I'm really glad to have you as a friend." Amara said.

"Same here!" Blaine said. The two of them shook hands. "Let's see what Nathan's up to."

"Okay. Hey Nathan, you found anything?" Amara asked, as they walked over to him.

"Unfortunately, no. Clearly, this basement hasn't been used in a long time, like Tara says." Nathan said.

"Why are there so many locked doors?" Serena asked, desperately pushing a door.

"First of all, you have to pull that door. And secondly, I think the keys to those doors were lost a long time ago. I guess no one bothered to get new keys. The place is a little big for just me and my parents, huh?" Tara said.

"Yeah. Your old man must get lonely if his house's as big as this one." Blaine said. "Three fucking basements!"

"Lonely..." Nathan said, staring at his feet. "Maybe so."

Before Amara could say anything, one of the doors burst open. Ornatu Legion members ran out, and Amara gasped.

"Colette!" Amara shouted.

"Joe..." Nathan muttered.

"Lucas?" Serena couldn't believe her eyes.

"They already know who we are?" Colette asked. _She doesn't remember?! Wait, Ornatu Legion guys lose their memory when they lose their Personas._

"Well, we were given some secret powerful Personas yesterday. Word gets around fast!" Joe said.

"Those are the guys we have to defeat, right? Shame, that blonde's really cute." Lucas said, sword in hand.

"In your dreams! I don't date athletes!" Serena snapped.

"Serena, you know him?" Blaine asked.

"Sure I do. He's in the same year of high school as me. He's on the track team. So they picked Ornatu Legion members we know in the other world..." Serena said.

"What's she even talking about?" Joe said.

"Doesn't matter. Once we beat you _again_, you won't remember a word we've said. So let's get this over with, shall we?" Blaine said, taking out his gun.

"Thank god, I was getting bored already with this conversation. Where's Adrian?" Colette asked.

Another Ornatu Legion member came out of the door - however, he was wearing a blue version of the uniform. He carried two curved blue swords, and had brown hair in a bowl cut. His grey eyes were cold, and distant.

"Adrian Gale!" Nathan shouted. "Tara, you - wait, that's right. You've never met Adrian in this world."

Tara looked straight into Adrian's eyes, and shivered. "Hold on a minute. I have a feeling I've seen him before, somewhere..."

Adrian did not respond. Without any vocal command, his Persona burst out of his body. It was a terrifying grim reaper figure, carrying a long bow. Covering the skeletal horror was a ripped black robe, and a golden crown. Completing the nightmarish vision before them was what the reaper was riding - a white horse, mane covering it's eyes. This horse instead had numerous eyes scattered all over it's body, even on it's legs.

"Holy crap, he gets the White Rider! Cool! Okay, here goes! Parvati!" Colette's Persona was a rather beautiful goddess figure, with pink hair and a flower in her hands.

"I'm not going down! Lugh!" Joe cried. His Persona was a strange male figure that seemed to have golden armour for skin, with long flowing hair and horns. Various weapons, such as a spear and a throwing star, were attached to his body.

"Time to show off what Archie gave me! Siegfried!" Lucas called. His Persona came forth - a tall blonde hero, dressed in armour and brandishing a long two-handed sword.

"These guys mean business this time." Amara said. "Our natural Personas won't lose, though! We'll beat whatever fake power you have!"

Amara and the others called upon their Personas, for their first true challenge against the Ornatu Legion.


	45. Chapter 45: Stillborn Gale

**Chapter 45: Stillborn Gale**

_Third Basement_

"Ruby Ignition!"

Amara had become fond of using this spell, and as ever was delighted to feel the surge of power that flowed through her body, whilst the flames struck Colette. She narrowly avoided an attack from Lucas, but wasn't quick enough to avoid a fierce spear barrage from Joe's Persona. However, Blaine got him with a few shots and a Zionga.

"Here we go!" Nathan shouted. "Magarula!" Fierce winds blew throughout the room, hitting everyone - but Adrian was the only one not to be hurt. "Huh?"

"Guys, Adrian's the one we ought to be worried about! His Persona's the strongest!" Tara said. "Magnara!" A strong earth spell hit Adrian, but he shrugged it off and used a Mudo spell - which nearly knocked out Serena.

"You guys are tougher than last time, but we're still going to win!" Serena said. "Aques!" The burst of water hit Lucas, and he looked pretty angry at the attack.

"Don't worry everyone! Here!" Colette said, as the beautiful Persona Parvati arose from her body, and her Mediarama restored the Ornatu Legion.

"Okay, it's _you _we ought to beat first!" Amara said. "Sundial!" Hathor's blade hit her, and Nathan and Blaine hit her with Garula and Zionga respectively. Serena darted in, avoiding swings from Lucas and Joe, and hit Colette many times with her whip.

"No fair! Guys, do something!" Colette said, whimpering.

"Alright, alright! Tetrakarn!" Lucas said, summoning a barrier around Colette. Adrian, without speaking a word, cast Megido.

"Oh god, what is up with this guy?" Serena asked. "He's freaking me out."

"Garula!" Joe shouted, as winds hit Nathan. Needless to say, they had no effect. In his confusion, Amara and Serena struck him with their weapons, and turned to Colette.

"Shall we?" Amara asked.

"We shall." Serena said.

Hathor and Artemis rose, and a sphere of shimmering water surrounded Colette. As she was hit by the sphere as it began to spin around, a blast of fire fell from the air, and Colette was hit by a fierce burst of steam. "Steam Sphere!"

"Oww! Oh my god, I can't believe this!" Colette said, in pain.

"Power Charge!" Lucas called out, as Siegfried charged up with power. Blaine tried Zionga to stop his attack, but the Power Slash that come forth knocked him back a bit.

"You got lucky, kid. But I'm not letting some teen get the better of me." Blaine said. Despite the force of the slash, he looked as confident as ever. "Acid Volt!"

"Ouch!" The poisonous lightning hit Lucas with full power, and now he was ailed, he didn't look so perky. He attempted to stab Amara, but Nathan's staff attacks were too swift for him to dodge.

"Damn it, Lucas! Adrian, you weirdo, do something!" Joe said.

Adrian's White Rider charged up in a similar way that Siegfried had done, but with a different kind of power.

"Is that him charging up his magic power?" Serena asked. "Oh crap, if he uses another Almighty attack-"

"Zionga!" Joe shouted, Lugh's lightning knocking Serena backwards. Colette watched, struggling to stand up.

"Agilao!" Amara shouted, flames hitting Joe. Then, she turned to Adrian, and swung at him, but he managed to counter her attacks with his own slashes. Soon, it became a full on duel, as their weapons clashed. Nathan used Magarula again, but he only managed to hurt Joe this time. Lucas struck Blaine, but another few shots and a Vicious Crush attack were enough to knock him to the floor.

"Just you and me, Mr Talkative..." Joe said. "Come on, Adrian, win this for us!"

Adrian didn't even look at Joe, as White Rider let out a disturbing laugh. This laughter heralded a stronger Megido, much more powerful than the Almighty attacks the team had dealt with before.

"This guy's...got balls..." Blaine said, impressed even as he gasped for air.

"Don't worry, we can still beat them!" Serena said. Artemis' power healed the team, and Amara struck Lucas.

"Why?! Why couldn't we just beat up the Shadows in Aurelia Park again?" Lucas said. A Zionga and a Garula were enough to knock him down, leaving the enigmatic Adrian.

"Tara, what are you doing? You've barely moved!" Nathan asked.

"I...I'm sorry." Tara said, shaking her head. She swung her weapon at Adrian, but she got hit in return. "No way am I letting that one go! She hit him again, and he would have struck her with a powerful slash had Nathan not hit him with a Zephyr Aria.

"I give up." Colette said. "I don't want to fight anymore!"

"Adrian, stop it. Let's head back!" Joe pleaded.

Adrian didn't even look at them. Despite his wounds, his Persona still had the power to attack

"Maragilao -"

"Drop dead!" Tara shouted, and one final Magnara stopped Adrian from making another move. He collapsed, dropping his weapon, and White Rider vanished.

"We were given those cool Personas and we still couldn't win. Ever since the Commander disappeared, they've treated us like crap…" Joe said.

"Now that we're done with these guys, let's go see what the other two groups are doing." Serena said. "I thought I heard fighting above…"

"Really? But they only sent us to this floor." Lucas said. "I haven't seen anyone else here."

"Yeah, we don't even know why we're here. Something about destroying Shadows, and a grand event. Wait, I remember! They sent others to a few other places!" Joe said.

"If only you were lucky enough to get sent with them, huh?" Blaine said, as he stood over the fallen Ornatu Legion members. "You were a lot stronger than before, though. How come?"

"That weird Archibald guy said he had refined the process." Colette said. "Wait - you guys aren't gonna kill us, are you?!"

"No way! That's not our style!" Amara said, shaking her head. "Relax, we'll get you away from Aeternus. We're the ones in the right here, not them."

Before the others could say anything, Adrian stood up. Tara stepped backward, ready to attack again.

"Ta...ra...?" Adrian muttered.

"Yeah?" Tara asked. "What, you wanna go a few more rounds?"

"Tara, hold on. He's acting different from before." Nathan said. "Adrian, can you hear me?"

"Na...than...Pris...cilla..." Adrian said, unsteady. He turned back to Tara, and looked at her up and down.

Tara put aside her weapon, and seemed to have lost her vigour for fighting. "Strange. I don't want to fight you anymore. It feels wrong, somehow. As if I couldn't bear to hurt you..."

"Tara Miller...would you..." Adrian said, his eyes now wide open, and his mouth slowly starting to smile.

"Would I what?" Tara asked. She stepped closer to Adrian, and managed to keep him standing when he nearly tumbled to the floor.

"Would you...do me the honour...of..."

"Adrian?" Nathan said. _Wait, he's seriously going to-_

"...marrying me?" Adrian finally said. By this point, his eyes were no longer cold and empty, but vivid and filled with hope.

"Marry you?! What?" Tara shouted. Adrian was silent for a few minutes, and it felt more like he was staring into space.

"Tara, everyone? There's something I've been wanting to say for a little while." Serena said.

"What?" Blaine asked.

"Could he be experiencing memories from his other self?" Serena said. Amara and the others gasped. "I'm serious. Kyle said he had a few dreams that sounded a bit like what had happened here. And when I read through that diary my other self kept, I could swear I remembered writing on the pages!"

"Wait, so is he proposing to me in the other world right now?" Tara asked.

"Either that, or he's planning to." Nathan asked. "How could they do this to Adrian? Why did he have to go through this?"

"This is freaking me out." Amara said. "Let's go upstairs and see what Aimee and the others are doing -"

"Yes!" Tara blurted out. _What? I thought she didn't know him in this world! _"I mean...what is going on? What's wrong with me?!"

"Tara...you've made me...the happiest...man...ever..." Adrian said, dreamily.

"Why did you say yes?" Nathan asked. "Are you remembering him?"

"Not exactly, but it feels like I do. It feels like I've known him forever. Like, I can imagine him in different clothes, and in different places. I can imagine him teasing me, and laughing with me." Tara said, afraid. She gazed into Adrian's eyes, and quickly looked away. "I'm so confused... Nathan, what should I do?"

"We'll get him to safety. Perhaps we can ask Kyle or Seraphina about getting him back to normal." Nathan said. "In the other world, Adrian and Tara could be engaged. It's been a long time since they started dating."

"Hey, since we're on the subject, how come you haven't put a ring on Priscilla's cute little finger yet?" Blaine asked, grinning.

"That's - well - I haven't gotten round to it. I've had plenty of other things to think about. This place, for example. I couldn't get married before saving this world." Nathan said.

"You don't want to wait, do you? You two have been goin' out since you were kids. It's about damn time, isn't it?" Blaine asked.

"Of course I don't. You guys know how important Priscilla is to me. Look, this isn't the time to talk about my love life! We have a job to do. Let's report back to Aimee -"

"So, you picked the right place after all." a familiar voice said. Carlos appeared right in front of them, with a malevolent smile. "Ah, there's an unfamiliar face amongst us! Introduce yourself to me, woman. Let it be clear to me who the newest dissident is!"

"You're one of those Ater Vox bastards, right? My name is Tara Miller. Until you guys let loose those freaks of nature, this was my family's home!" Tara shouted.

"Calm yourself, woman. Don't think your attitude will let you retain your life. It's such a bore to repeat my name, but it is Carlos Nadal." Tara glared at him, and rose her weapon.

"We're not letting this Divine Spark appear. Get out of our way!" Amara shouted.

"How curious. What makes you think you can stop it now? All it takes is a little push. Just one push for all those dark feelings to come rushing out." Carlos said. Suddenly, he rushed forward, and his fist hit Adrian's chest. Tara tried to swing her weapon at Carlos, but she missed, and Adrian fell to the floor.

"Adrian?!" Tara shouted. No response. His eyes were back to their distant and empty look. _Oh no..._

"Why did you do that?" Colette asked.

"What's the Divine Spark thing all about, anyway?!" Joe shouted.

"You people have no right to know. Your roles have ended here. Perhaps, however, you can contribute to a dark reprise." Carlos said, and he clicked his fingers. Just then, every member of the Ornatu Legion started hovering into the air, and their Personas burst out of their bodies with a fierce red aura.

"What's happening?!" Serena screamed.

"Father...Victoria...work..." Joe said, as Lugh collided with his body in a black burst of light.

"Clothes...the office...ugly..." Colette said, as her Persona did the same with her.

"Running...school...friends..." Lucas said, and he was third to meet this fate.

"Tara...Tara...Tara..." Adrian said. Three black spheres of energy surrounded him, as his Persona phased into his body. Glowing red and black, Adrian gathered all the energy into his body, and with a flash of light, he became something truly horrific.

"No! Adrian!" Tara screamed.

In place of the Ornatu Legion was a demonic horse creature, with a blood red mane and an 'Emperor' mask above it's face. Standing on the horse was a red dog with bloody fangs, with a yellow 'Chariot' mask dangling from it's tail. On top of the dog was a cat, that had a red 'Lovers' mask in it's mouth and bloody stripes of fur. The final beast was a rooster-like being, with a "Hierophant' mask completely covering it's face.

"What the fuck just happened?!" Blaine said, looking disgusted.

"Simple. We've figured out how to fuse humans with Shadows. I never expected such a result, however. This is truly incredible!" Carlos said, smiling. "How does that make you feel, everyone?"

"You bastard! What's the point of this?!" Amara shouted.

"Simple. Your positive thoughts are worthless beneath the might of the sorrow we bring forth. Now, fight, and let your misery prevail. Let the world change, as the stage of world revolution reaches it's fourth level!" Carlos said, disappearing.

"These are...the muscians of Bremen, right? And we really have to fight it?" Serena said. "Lucas, I'm sorry..."

"Joe always got on my nerves, but I never imagined having to do this. I have to end this, now!" Nathan said.

"Colette, forgive me." Amara said. "Bring it on!"

_Normal World, Tara and Adrian's House_

Tara and Adrian were coming home after yet another performance at the orchestra. Tara had been playing just about every week in front of hundreds of people, and it was tiring as ever. Even so, it remained as fulfilling as it had always had been. This is what she had been working towards ever since she was a child, after all.

"You were really good, Tara. You know, ever since I first saw you playing, you've gotten better with every day." Adrian said. "I hate it when I have to work late and I'm too tired to talk about your rehearsals."

"Don't worry so much. I like it when you're asleep, next to me. Sure, I have to put up with you yawning, but I've gotten used to it." Tara said, smiling. "You've been really nostalgic today, Adrian. What's the matter?"

"Nothing! I just like thinking about how we met. I really got on your nerves, but look at us now!" Adrian said, smiling. "Ever since I met you, Nathan and Priscilla, life has been pretty great. I love hearing you play, and I love it when you tell me to cheer up after a bad day at the recording studio."

"Aww, you don't have to talk like that! I'm already crazy about you!" Tara said, kissing Adrian on the cheek. The two of them came in, and went into their living room. Their house was slightly smaller than Nathan's, but still very tastefully decorated with red and brown hues.

"Hey, check your violin case. Remember that time someone left gum all over it, and you had to throw it away?" Adrian said.

"Yeah. It was my first violin. You went right out and bought me the best one you could find. It wasn't really the same, but now I love it." Tara said. "Fine, I'll check."

Tara opened the case, and saw something odd on top of the strings. It was a silver ring, with a ruby on it.

"Adrian, is this -"

"Tara, it is. I love you so much. I never thought when I first saw you playing that violin for five hours straight that we'd be together for so long. I want to hear you play for the rest of my life. I want you to be there to encourage me, and stop me from being a lazy git like I used to be. So, Tara Miller, would you do the honour of marrying me?"

Tara was lost for words. It was true that Adrian had become less lazy since he and her became more serious, and she loved playing just for him. Truthfully, she had been waiting for him to pop the question for nearly four years, and had told this to Priscilla many times. Could she have done something to convince him to do this?

Adrian's smile wavered a little, as he waited for a response. Finally, Tara leapt up and embraced Nathan, as tight as she could.

"Of course I will! I've wanted to be your wife for so long!"

"Really? I'm sorry I took so long. Tara, you've made me the happiest man alive. There's something else in there, too." Adrian said.

"Something else?" Tara said, still filled with joy. She looked back in the case, and saw an old sheet of paper. "Wait, this is _The Ruby Night_!"

"Exactly. It's the original. It took me a year to find it, and it cost me thousands. Remember when I kept saying I couldn't afford dinner for a few months? That was when I bought it." Adrian said.

"Oh, Adrian! Thank you for everything!" Tara said, smiling, as she kissed Adrian passionately."I can't wait to tell everyone!"

"Me too! We have those two to thank for this. One day, they'll get married too! Imagine if we had a double wedding! Wait, we don't have to do that if -"

"It doesn't matter, Adrian. I'd marry you even if we had to wear bin bags!" Tara said, as the two of them kissed once again.

_Second Basement_

The shadowy figure raised his hand, and something equally ominous emerged from his body with a purple smoke. This was a dark blue figure, with no eyes or mouth.

"Cursed Swings!" Dan beckoned, as Tezcatlipoca ravaged the shadowy man with his scythe. However, instead of wince, he merely pointed at Dan. His Persona became shrouded in blue mist, and when it dissipated, it was gone. Instead, there was another Tezcatlipoca, with reversed colours.

"The fuck?!" Dan shouted. "Seraphina, you got anything on this freak?"

"That being he called forth is called Doppelganger, but the rest is unclear..." Seraphina said. "Yet, his abilities have changed to match your own."

"Okay, so what hurts Dan hurts him, right?" Matthew said. "Bring it! Double Claw!" Acolnahuacatl slashed the figure twice with his claws. "Now, Garula!" Gusts of wind hit the figure. "Wait, wind doesn't hurt him?" The figure used a Zionga attack, shocking Matthew.

"It's earth magic Dan can't stand. Let me do this, Matthew. Magma Sword!" Kyle shouted. Hephaestus' earth charged blade hit the shadowed man, caused quite some pain. Tezcatlipoca reverted back to Doppelganger, but then changed to a reversed Hephaestus. "Really? It's copying _me_ now?"

"Correct. Now is the time for Matthew to unveil the winds of his soul!" Seraphina said. The figure used Searing Sequence, hitting Priscilla with intense flaming slashes. She collapsed, in deep agony.

"That was scary..." Matthew said. "Garula!" Winds hit the man, and this time they inflicted great damage. He followed up by slashing with his knives, and then used Garula again.

"Nice work, kid!" Dan said. This time, Doppelganger changed to Acolnahuacatl. "Figures this would happen. What now, Seraphina?"

"Being subjected to sorrowful waters will punish him dearly. Alas, neither me nor Priscilla can use Aqua spells." Seraphina said.

"Even so, we'll win this!" Priscilla cried. "Frozen Tempest!" A hail of icy crystals struck the shadowy figure, who retaliated with a brutal swing. She hit him back with her weapon, and Dan blasted him with his rifle.

"Hey, where did you get that thing?" Matthew asked.

"I took it from an Ornatu Legion guy sleeping on the job. I had Kyle make it better, though." Dan said.

"Really? He knows how to modify artillery? And he's sixteen? That's..."

"You learn a lot when you're surviving in a Shadow infested city. Probably more than being stuck in a tiny village. Enough, we have to concentrate on the fight. Agilao!" Kyle's flames hit the shadowed man, and just as he turned his attention to Kyle, Seraphina used Grimoire's Armada on him.

"Holy shit, that was incredible!" Matthew said. "How can I do moves like that?"

"Well, if you calmed down a little in battle..." Kyle said, shaking his head. Dan glared at him, and Kyle looked away, a little flustered.

The silhouette figure eventually stopped moving, dismissing Doppelganger. Seraphina seemed unnerved by this person even more, and stood back.

"Stella, what exactly is the deal with this thing?" Priscilla said. "The poor fellow can't even talk. He's not even attacking us!"

"I do not know, but I have a feeling he's connected to -"

"Hey guys!" Zao said, running into the room. Aimee, Roger and Karen were behind him, looking weary. "We had to kill tons of Shadows, and we finally got rid of them. What's that thing over there? Another Shadow?"

"Seraphina says it's some weird person who went through an experiment. Try as much as you want, but he'll never say a word." Kyle said.

"Just leave him be. If this is a Divine Spark, that'll finish this weirdo off. He can't even talk anyway." Roger said.

"Roger, no!" Karen said, angrily. "It might not be too late to save him!"

"Sorry. Just remember, we can't save everyone." Roger said. "Someone's gonna get hurt no matter what we do."

Zao walked over to the mysterious figure, and tried looking at his face. The figure didn't do a thing, or make a sound.

"Zao, what are you doing? That thing is dangerous!"

"It'll be fine!" Zao said, and he touched the figure's head with his finger. Yet, something utterly bizarre happened. The figure lit up, and for under a second, details could be made out. His hair was ocean blue, and his eyes matched.

"Wait, that's..." Aimee began saying.

"Me?!" Zao shouted. The figure shoved Zao aside, and began walking, fading away as he did so.

"You mean that's Zao's other self?!" Dan shouted. "That's crazy! He wasn't using Rashnu or anything!"

"Relax, Dan, it might not have been me. In fact, it probably wasn't, if he didn't have my Persona. I'm fine, honestly!" Zao said, with a forced smile. "I mean, it can't have been me! Right?"

"Well, he only lit up when you touched him..." Roger said.

"Hey, none of you directly touched him either! It's just a coincidence! Aimee, don't look so worried! If we see him again, we take him down!" Zao said.

"Alright, Zao. If that's what you really want..." Aimee said. "If there's nothing else on this floor, we should -"

"Oh no! It is just as I feared! A tremendous amount of darkness is coming!" Stella said. "**Vohu Manah **and **Aka Manah **are rising!"

"Oh for god's sake! I should have know Zao's happy thought idea wouldn't work!" Dan said.

"Don't get mad at him!" Aimee said. "Look, we need to hurry down and get the others to safety. I'm worried about Tara."

"Her whole house is going to blow up, right?" Matthew said. "We have to get her out of here!"

_Third Basement_

The team had been fighting the strange quartet of Shadows for quite a while. Each one of them was a formidable foe in their own right, but together, they were fiendish. Amara dodged another Garula from the horse Shadow, and cringed as it hit Tara. She hadn't moved at all, just barely holding on to her weapon.

"Tara, do something! Don't just stand there!" Amara shouted. Tara just wailed as she was hit by the wind attack. Blaine narrowly dodged the dog Shadow's Agilao, and he and Serena struck the assortment of creatures with their weapons.

The cat Shadow blasted Blaine with an Aques, however, injuring him quite a bit. Angry, he had Tlaloc strike all four Shadows with a tremendous hammer swing attack, then hit the cat with Zionga. Nathan used Garula on the cockerel Shadow, and then hit them with his staff.

"It's getting weaker, but...I feel awful." Nathan said. "Every time I hit either of them, there's a rush of sadness in me."

"Yeah, me too..." Amara said. She had felt this same gloom whenever she hit these Shadows. To think they were once people, and Colette was one of them. She had to kill this thing now, so Colette's spirit could hopefully rest.

The four beasts were charging their retrospective powers, glowing with extreme energy. The combined energy illuminated the entire room, almost blinding Amara.

"No!" Tara screamed. Suddenly, Maká appeared. She was charged with incredible power, beyond even a Mind Charge. "I can't let you beat us!"

One swing of Maka's staff, and massive pillars of rocks burst from the ground. The Shadows were too slow to avoid the melee, and a final column of stone sent all of them to the ground. Their gathered power exploded, severely damaging everyone.

As Amara began to stand up, each of the four beasts burst into wisps of darkness. Not a trace of the Ornatu Legion remained. However, Amara thought she heard Collette's voice.

**All I have to do is keep wearing nice clothes. Then people will like me. Then I'll be cool. Then no one will pick on me anymore. I won't be the ugly one that no one wants to be with. Right? All eyes will be on me for once!**

"Did anyone hear that?" Amara asked.

"I thought I heard Joe, but...he was talking about his father and a hospital." Nathan said, stunned. "I don't understand. He always seemed a cheerful person."

"Yeah, I could have sworn I heard Lucas' voice. He was talking about raising money for charities in Africa. I didn't realise he was that passionate about that sort of thing..."

"I didn't hear anything. Guess it's because I didn't know those guys." Blaine said. "Looks like it's true, though. People are remembering things from the other dimension."

"Why do I feel so sad...?" Tara asked. "I don't really remember him, but at the same time, I do. I can remember him laughing at me, and me hitting him. I just don't remember where it was, though."

"It was at university. You were playing the violin by yourself, and Adrian came in and watched. You told him to get lost and that you needed silence to practice, and he said that unless someone heard you, you wouldn't know if you were any good." Nathan said, with a slight smile. "Then he just didn't give up until you went to the union bar with him. That was a long time ago now..."

"If only I could have met him in this world. I wanted to marry him, even." Tara said. "Thanks to Aeternus, he's gone. And so are my parents! Damn them to hell!" Tara said, banging her fist on the wall.

Suddenly, the ground started shaking.

"Shit! Carlos was right!" Blaine shouted. "Upstairs, now! We gotta get to Aimee and the others!"

"No need, Stella sensed it!" Aimee said, as she and the others came downstairs. "We'll discuss this later, but right now we need to get out -"

"Wait..." Tara said, as she looked towards a door. Pushing Serena out of the way, she pushed it open, and gasped. A man and a woman were on the floor, with blood dripping slowly from their stomachs. They weren't breathing, and it was clear they wouldn't wake up. Amara felt sick, but upon Tara's scream, she realised something else was wrong.

"What? What is it?!" Nathan said, running over.

"Those are my parents!" Tara said, darting over to them. "Mother! Father!"

"We can't afford to spend time on this! The might of the Divine Spark is growing every second!" Seraphina hollered.

"I don't care! Please, wake up!" Tara furiously shook her parents, but nothing happened.

"Tara, the culprit - argh!" A burst of shadow energy nearly hit Seraphina, but Amara quickly pulled her away.

"Are you alright?" Amara asked.

"Yes, I am. Aimee, you must make haste!" Seraphina said.

"I know. Traesto - huh?" Aimee said. "I don't have the energy to do it...something's wrong."

"Haha! Of course you don't! You were too busy healing your comrades!" _Carlos. You bastard! _"Well, I guess if you all die here, the next Divine Spark will come a lot sooner. Miss Tara can finally join her parents, I suppose!"

"Oh no! Seraphina, is there enough time to escape on foot?" Priscilla said.

"Not unless Tara gets a hold of herself..." Seraphina said.

"How am I supposed to do that?! Ten years, and they were hiding here, and I never knew!" Tara wailed. "If only I could have come sooner!"

"Tara, we _really_ have to get going!" Matthew said.

"I guess I'll have to force you to stay!" Carlos suddenly appeared again, his fists raised. "It won't be long now until the land of **Wahman **rises. You'll get to see just how wonderful it was for the Holy Cross! Oh, and your other selves, of course."

"This isn't good." Zao said, shaking. "We can't beat him and get out in time!"

"Then allow me." Someone appeared in the middle of the room - Archibald. Next to him was Nina. Yet, they were not the Ater Vox members they had fought, but the ones that had helped them before.

"What the - Archie?! Nina?!" Carlos said, confused. "Nihane only sent me this time! Why are you here now?"

"Ethan is his name. Remember who you were before this happened, Carlos. When we first met, you wouldn't dream of hurting someone outside the ring." Nina said.

"We couldn't stop your misdeeds in time, but we won't let you sacrifice either of these people." Archibald said. He seemed to be looking at Blaine, but before Amara could speak, the team were whisked away.

_Outside Tara's House_

"Where'd they go?" Blaine asked. "I wanted to ask the old guy something."

"I wanted to talk to Nina, too. She still won't come home, even though she's all my parents talk about. If I did that, maybe they'd stop ganging up on me…" Serena said.

"Tara, are you okay?" Matthew asked.

"The Divine Spark's going to happen, no matter what I do. Isn't that right?" Tara said, standing up. "Fine. I see how it is! But I won't let Carlos Nadal get away with this!"

Everyone watched as the hellish spectacle ensued. Masses of dark power rushed up, shrouding the entire house. Tara stepped forward, but didn't make any other moves. The intense power raged, and Amara could see people looking out their windows from the houses nearby. The look of horror on their faces sent a shiver down her spine.

Finally, the darkness disappeared, leaving yet another crater. Nothing of the grand estate remained.

"That was...a Divine Spark. "Tara said, flatly.

"...Horrifying." Matthew said, his face pale. "Dan, can't we do anything?"

"We just have to keep trying. Nothin' else we can do, kid." Dan said.

"No. We can't let any more happen. I won't let what happened to Adrian happen to anyone else!" Tara said, turning around. She looked more determined, more enraged than before. "I never knew Adrian, but I have to keep fighting! For him! I…"

"It's alright, Tara. You can cry if you want to -" Aimee said.

"I'm not crying, okay? I just...need a moment to think." Tara said.

"Let's go back to Clairdol, then." Matthew said. "Staying in front of this place isn't gonna cheer you up."

"Okay, then you take her to Clairdol, Matthew. We'll try and think of what to do next, but Amara and the others should go home. Is that okay?" Aimee said. "I'm sorry we couldn't stop it this time..."

"It's hardly your fault. We'll figure out a way to stop these things, somehow." Amara said. "We'll see you soon."

_Farawell_

Amara and Serena left, leaving the guys by themselves.

"Hey Nathan, you were a little down earlier. What's up?" Zao asked.

"It's private." Nathan grumbled.

"Let me guess, you asked your dad about Josephine?" Blaine said.

"Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about that! So what happened?" Zao asked, eagerly.

"Zao, why do you sound so freaking excited? He confirmed it! He and my mother were indeed having an affair…and I didn't notice at all." Nathan said. "And my mother died without ever knowing the truth. How could he do that to her? Not only betray his own family, but just act like nothing ever happened?"

Zao, realising his enthusiasm was misplaced, kept quiet. As Blaine and Nathan looked at the ground, he slinked away, waving goodbye.

"Why did she have to work for father? Wasn't there anywhere else she could go?" Nathan said, angry. "Mother, if only you were still here, then I could have told you everything, and -"

"Dude, chill out!" Blaine said. "It's all in the past now, isn't it?"

"Shut up! I can't just let it go like that!" Nathan said. "I can't think of my dad the same way anymore. He's not the same man I admired…"

"Okay, whatever. You just make sure you can still fight worth a damn." Blaine said. "See you later. Maybe you'll have finished your hissy fit by then."

Nathan couldn't think of a response, and then ran away. Blaine could have sworn he heard him sobbing, and sighed.

"At least you've got an old man to be pissed off at. You don't know how lucky you are, you stupid bastard!" Blaine said, quietly, but bitterly.

Sighing again, Blaine went home. At least he was having Lucy finally come to his house, so that would take his mind off things. In fact, he was already thinking about tidying up the house, and hiding anything she wouldn't like. Namely, a large collection of adult videos and empty beer cans lying all over the floor.

_Inanis_

All was quiet in the silent land of Inanis tonight. Suddenly, the entire ground started shaking, and unbelievable amounts of energy roared down, seeping into the land.

Watching the chaos unfold, Nihane Kronos stepped forward. His orange eyes lit up, and he clapped. He had been here waiting, but alas, it had finally come. The fourth Divine Spark, of Nova Albion, was here. Saragel and Legarte were the only ones left. Surely, the time would soon come for both of them to awaken.

"It's moving so quickly! People of Amurdad, rejoice, for those who wronged you will meet their true end. There will be no heaven or hell for the prejudiced villains who razed our home. You will witness the Eternal Road's completion, no matter how many get in our way!"


	46. Chapter 46: Uneasy Feelings

_A long time ago, there was a mysterious and unusual land._

_It was so different, their neighbours eventually razed everything there._

_All records of that land have faded into nothing. The fear of that nation spread throughout the island._

_Not only were they massacred, their land will not even be a footnote in the chronicles of time._

_Could it really be that the souls of the fallen wish for the demise of reality itself?_

_Their fate was truly cruel, no one would deny that now. _

_Yet, I believe humans can change, and truly reach a perfect and harmonious existence. _

_The ones that I have shown the way to their true power will prove the potential of humanity. _

_The one that took the name of an ancient leader will have no choice but to see that potential. _

_When he does, will he put aside his sword and embrace humanity, or reject such an ideal?_

_Everything lies on humanity's shoulders. I shall watch, now and forever._

**Chapter 46: Uneasy Feelings**

_**7**__**th**__** August 2012, Nova Albion Headquarters, 8:15am  
**_

Nathan was driving the car, trying his hardest to focus on the road. However, the memory of last night was still fresh in his mind. Having fought Joe as an Ornatu Legion member before, he didn't think it'd be a big deal to do so again. Then, after what Carlos did to him, things went horribly wrong. Nathan had to destroy what was left of Joe's spirit, and after he did this, he heard his voice. It wasn't until he got home that he was able to think clearly about the things Joe said. Only Nathan seemed to hear them, but from what Amara said, she could hear Colette's.

Those memories were nothing but painful. Joe spoke of his father, at first sounding angry, almost hateful. Then they dropped to merely apathetic, and unfeeling. It seemed after Joe started working for Albion Incorporated, he barely talked to his father. It was only because of his girlfriend that he picked up the phone to call him once a week.

Then, something happened. Joe's father had to go to hospital, and he was severely ill. Joe's girlfriend practically dragged him to the hospital, and Joe still treated his father with disdain. From what Nathan could tell, his father had pushed him into becoming successful, and refused to let him do as he pleased most of his childhood. When the news came that his father couldn't be saved, and had months to live, something hit Joe.

Now Nathan knew the reason Joe missed work most mornings. It was the only time his father was well enough to speak and look at his son. Joe didn't say it outright, but he knew he loved his father. Every time he came to the hospital, however, the words didn't come. Time was running out, and Joe might never get a chance to thank his father. Because of this, he kept getting into arguments with his girlfriend.

"So, are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Priscilla said, angrily, as they entered the building. "You've been avoiding your father, you're ruder than usual to Joe, and you got back so late last night!"

"I'm sorry, darling. There's something going on between me and father, but...it's a bit of a mess." Nathan said.

"Nathan, don't you know you can tell me anything? We've been dating for over a decade now! I can't say I'd understand whatever it is that's going on, but can you at least tell me later? I don't want you and Reginald fighting." Priscilla said. "And there's something else I wanted to talk to you about. You were too tired to speak last night, but I'll tell you when we go to Tara and Adrian's tonight."

"Oh yeah, I forgot we were coming over. In that case, I'll get some champagne." Nathan said. "Well, it's not a special occasion, but-"

"Actually, it is. You'll just have to wait to find out." Priscilla said. "Now then, what are we doing for lunch? I'd love to try that potato salad bar the girls were talking about."

"Ah, Pommes De Terrace. That sounds great. It'd be my pleasure to escort you there, milady." Nathan said, smiling. Just then, he saw a text message from his father.

**I'm sorry.**

Nathan sighed, put his phone away, and began his day.

_**Lucille Valley High School, 8:25am  
**_

"Dammit. The subs for _Gorgeous Goddess_ are taking longer than they thought." Kyle said, checking his phone. "But at least _Guardian Angel Hiroko _is up tomorrow! You're coming over to watch it with me, right?"

"Of course! As long as we get the homework done, of course." Serena said. "I think we'll be hitting the library once again this lunchtime."

"Not a problem. Oh yeah, I heard they're going to pick the head girl for the year today." Kyle said. "You put your name down, right?"

"Yeah, I did. Just as a joke, really." Serena said. "Come on, it'd be such a pain. I'd have to give corny speeches to the school all the time, get involved in so many stupid events, and be all representing the school..."

"Guess who's running for head boy?" Kyle asked.

"Lucas, yeah? I had a feeling he'd be doing that. He's always going on about improving the school." Serena said.

"Yeah, but his only ideas for that are damn marathons or other stupid meets. The school gets so damn excited when he finishes in first place as usual, his picture winds up in the paper, and it's the same every time!" Kyle said, looking annoyed.

"Kyle, he's _right behind_ _you_!" Serena said.

"Please tell me that's a joke." Kyle said, panicking.

"Actually, man, it isn't." Lucas said, and walked to the front of Kyle.

"Look, I don't like sports, okay? You can see why!" Kyle said, looking away.

"Kyle!" Serena shouted. "Lucas, I'm sorry about this..."

"It's fine. I think I get why Kyle never really liked me now, actually." Lucas said. "You wish you could take part in the running team, don't you?"

"What? That's a load of crap! Even if I wasn't stuck in this thing, I-"

"See what I mean? 'Stuck'? Kyle, you're only stuck if you think you are. You can find ways to take part if you really want, you know." Lucas said.

"How?" Kyle was getting madder with every word Lucas said. "I can't just get out of this thing and run like you can!"

"Kyle..." Serena said.

"Alright, I get it. But you don't have to spoil it for the rest of us. Maybe you could just sit and watch with us. It has to be more fun than sitting in the library the whole time." Lucas said, looking stern.

"...It's time for class." Kyle said angrily, leaving the area.

"You know, Kyle gets on my nerves. Just cause he's in a wheelchair he thinks he can't do anything active!" Lucas said.

"Well, it's not really my thing either. I'll try and get him to apologise -"

"No, Serena, don't bother. If he thinks he's trapped, let him be trapped. I'm off to talk to the coach. Oh, good luck for head girl." Lucas said.

"Thanks." Serena said, walking upstairs. She had been friends with Lucas for a while, but she realised she didn't understand him fully until yesterday. After beating the Shadow that was born from him, she felt some of his memories. She knew he had a pen pal in Africa who met him a couple of times, and both of them were keen runners. The pen pal one day was a victim of a riot, however, and Lucas was heartbroken. He promised himself he would run in his friend's memory, and to help the school his friend went to, he always entered for charity. Of course, there was no way she could let Lucas know she knew.

_Lucas, don't be mad. I can make Kyle understand, somehow._

_**Blaine and Dan's House, 8am  
**_

"Blaine, come _on_, the house looks fine and we don't even have a vacuum cleaner!" Dan said.

"Yeah, but this is the first time we've had female company in ages! I don't want Lucy to think I live like a slob." Blaine said. "I mean, there's a beer can behind the TV. How did that even get there?"

"I think it was that night we were out with that Karl guy. We went and got more beer and went home and you passed out in the back yard! I must have it one there. Might still have something in it, actually." Dan said.

"See what I'm talking about? I don't the place to stink of booze tonight, Dan. I wanna make Lucy feel at home." Blaine said.

"You'd be the ideal house husband, you know. Look, just tidy up the place. You might want to move away those DVDs too, if you're so worried about your image!" Dan said, grinning. "Or does she know about our 'stash'"?

"Of course she doesn't, dude. That would be one fucked up pick up line, wouldn't it? 'Want to see my porn collection?'" Blaine said, sighing. "I'll have to put those away, too. There's so much I have to get ready..."

"Relax, she's probably not expecting one of those big houses on those remodelling shows. Just clean up and figure out what we're having to eat. You know I suck when it comes to cooking." Dan said.

"I guess you're right. I just wish I could impress her." Blaine said.

"Really? From what you were saying the other day, you already did that. Many times. In one night." Dan said, grinning. "Come on, Blaine, she's not that bothered about the house. It's you she's interested in. Damn, you are some kind of stud!"

"Well, you'd be one too if you shaved that goatee! You hurry up and get to work. I'll have this place looking clean even if it takes me all morning!" Blaine said. "Now, maybe if we had some feather dusters and some window cleaner..."

"You're such a girl!" Dan said, laughing as he left.

"Says the guy with that pink shirt." Blaine said to himself. The house still didn't look right. To make it look good enough for Lucy to want to come back, he had to pull out all the stops. Her apartment was great, even if it was a little feminine for his tastes.

"Come on, Blaine, gotta make Lucy think you're a good host!"

_**Motion Publishing Cafeteria, 12:40pm  
**_

"What's the matter, Amara?" Stella asked. "What happened in the other world last night?"

"You knew I was there? Well...did I tell you about the Divine Sparks?" Amara said.

"You may have mentioned them, but you didn't go into much detail. Amara, tell me everything. What are these Divine Sparks?" Stella asked.

Amara briefly explained the Divine Sparks, or what she knew about them. It was a lot of information to go into, especially the mysterious place on the ground - Inanis. Stella looked rather panicked, however, at the mention of what happened to Colette, Joe, Lucas and Adrian.

"I see...Amara, there is something I should tell you about that. The Ater Vox have been attempting experiments for quite some time, regarding the fusion of humans and Shadows." Stella said. "That is what likely happened last night. Carlos must have used his power to perform the experiment himself."

"Colette...I heard some of her thoughts. I think I know why she's obsessed with clothes." Amara said. "Colette feels she has to dress up nice, look pretty, so no one has to worry about what she's like on the inside. She doesn't think she's smart, or interesting, so fashion is the only thing that matters to her."

"Okay, Amara? You can't do it all, at least not at once. I think we can worry about improving Colette's self-esteem later. Right now, I'm concerned about you and the Divine Sparks. There's not much time left, and if the Eternal Road is opened, there's no telling what will happen." Stella said.

"Isn't there a way to stop them at all? There has to be a way! Otherwise, we never would have been dragged into the other world in the first place!" Amara said.

"I do know something, Amara. The angels will return from the underworld and pave the way to a true resolution." Stella said. "Who the angels are, I don't know."

"Angels? Well, at this point, I'll try anything. Leave the other world in my hands, Stella. Of course, over there you're fighting with us anyway!" Amara said.

"That's right. I have a feeling both versions of myself will be a great help. Continue fighting, and be ready for anything." Stella said. "Now then, let's move on to less intense matters. How excited is Blaine about having Lucy come to his house for dinner tonight?"

"Well, you know how crazy he is about that girl. He's asked me tons of questions, like how to set the table, where to get a vacuum cleaner, a good place to hide his porn stash and if the recipe Zao gave him is any good." Amara said.

"Wait, porn stash?" Stella asked.

"That's the kind of guy he is, I suppose. Karl used to have a lot of dirty magazines lying around, but then he stopped buying them. Or maybe he just hid them so I wouldn't get upset!" Amara said.

"Men are perverts, I suppose. They're sweet, but they're perverts." Stella said, laughing. "Although Zao sure is crazy about you, as well!"

"He is. He keeps texting me pictures of fishes and talking about how romantic they look." Amara said. Zao was just so silly, she couldn't help but melt every time she saw him. "It doesn't even bother me if he and Karl are out all night at a club!" Amara said.

"Are you sure it's such a good idea to be friends with your ex?" Stella asked. "It may not be as idyllic as you claim it to be."

"Stella, don't talk like that! I loved Karl, I really did. But I love Zao now. It's just hard to forget how special the times I had with Karl really were." Amara said. "I'm even happy Zao's fighting with us. I don't have to hide the other world from him, and I can help him grow stronger too."

"You seem to know what you're doing. Still, if you're ever confused, talk to me. I know one thing - both men care for you very much." Stella said.

"Don't worry, I can handle this. Come on, let's get back to work before Lucy does." Amara said.

_Pommes De Terrace_

As Nathan and Priscilla reached _Pommes De Terrace_, which served many delicious potato dishes, they recognised two people at a table. It was Joe Kowalski, and an unfamiliar lady was next to him.

"Joe, how much longer are you going to keep this up?" she said. "If you keep missing work in the mornings, you could lose your job! Then what would we do?"

"I've already spoken to my boss about it. He says he keeps getting hassled about it, though, so I need to stop doing it. But I can't. The doctor said it'll be another two months until...you know." Joe said, looking rather downcast.

"Did you hear that?" Priscilla asked quietly, making sure neither Joe or the woman had heard her.

"Yes, I did. One of his relatives must be in a bad way." Nathan said.

"We shouldn't bother them. They don't look like they're in the mood to chat." Priscilla said, as they sat down. They were a few tables away, so Nathan didn't think they'd be easily seen. "Nothing's going on with Reginald, is there?"

"No, nothing like that! He's in good health." Nathan said. "Trust me, Priscilla, I wouldn't hide that from you."

"Oh, good. Anyway, this looks really good. Potatoes are more interesting than I thought." Priscilla said, in awe as she stared at the menu. "Maybe I'll have - oh, he's spotted us!" Sure enough, Joe had got up from his table, and was making his way to Nathan and Priscilla's.

"Hello, Nathan." Joe said. His girlfriend stared, but didn't follow. "Victoria, don't be shy! Come on over! These are friends from work!" _Friends? But I've never been kind to him at all. I wish I could undo all those things, and do something to help, but..._

"Oh, hello there. I'm Joe's fiancé." Victoria said. She had pale blonde hair in a sort of spiky long ponytail, and a trendy white coat. _Fiancé? That's right, when I heard his thoughts, he was afraid she'd leave him and go off with someone else, and he'd be alone at his father's funeral. Oh my god. _"You must be the son of the CEO, Reginald Albion, correct?"

"Yes, that's right. This is Priscilla, my partner." Nathan said.

"It's nice to meet you at last! Joe was telling me about you the last time we spoke, about getting a new jacket to cheer you up. Looks like he picked a good one." Priscilla said.

"Oh, thanks. Joe said. "Nathan, I'm sorry about being late yet again. Things haven't been great with my family. I might as well tell you, actually. My dad's sick. Really sick. I go to the hospital in the mornings, but I always stay a bit too long..."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Listen, maybe you should take tomorrow off. I could easily arrange that, if you want." Nathan said, looking at Priscilla. She gasped, impressed. This was the first time Nathan had been remotely civil to Joe.

"What? Seriously? I don't know what to say -"

"Take it, Joe. It'll give us one less thing to worry about! I need to go back to work, so you have a good afternoon." Victoria said. She and Joe kissed, and she left.

"I'm lucky the CEO's son is such a swell guy! You're a lucky lady, Priscilla." Joe said.

"So is Victoria! You take care, Joe." Priscilla said.

"Thanks! Well then, I'm going back now. See you two later." Joe said, walking away.

"I didn't know he was getting married. With his father's condition, it must be difficult to plan a wedding." Nathan said.

"It's awful. Weddings are usually so wonderful! What do you think ours would be like?" Priscilla asked, gazing into Nathan's eyes.

"I don't know, I haven't had time to think about it. I'd probably have Adrian as my best man, Tara would probably be your bridesmaid, Blaine would probably drag me out for the stag night and get me drunker than I've ever been. Then I'd get to see you in your wedding dress, and I'd feel like the luckiest guy in the world. I think I already am, though…" Nathan said, smiling. _Would I really let Blaine take me out for a night on the town? No, probably not. I have the other world to deal with, before I can get married. Damn, if only I hadn't wound up in that place, I would probably have proposed by now…_

"There's that Albion charisma again!" Priscilla said. "Well, I love weddings. It might not be long before there's another one, you know!"

"What do you mean?" Nathan said. "You haven't turned this lunch into a wedding, have you?"

"No, of course not! I'd never get married in my office skirt!" Priscilla said, laughing. "Just be patient, and you'll find out!"

**_Lucille Valley High School, 2:30pm_**

Everyone was sitting in the assembly hall, waiting for the principal Mr Laidlaw to announce the head girl and head boy. Serena looked around, and saw Lucas looking a bit glum. She waved, but he didn't notice her. _Oh well, just have to wait until this is over._

"Okay, everyone! You've all put in your votes for our new Head Boy and Head Girl, and for the boys, you had a hard time deciding a favourite. However, we are pleased to announce Lucas O'Neil is our Head Boy!" Mr Laidlaw bellowed.

The entire school cheered and cheered, their claps lasting as Lucas walked up to the stage. He took his badge, shook Mr Laidlaw's hand and smiled, looking at his fellow students.

"Everyone, thank you for your support. I ran for Head Boy because I believe I can make a difference in this school. To make us rise above our limitations and pave the way for our future, whatever we want to do." Lucas said. Serena couldn't help but notice him looking in her direction, but then she realised who he was really talking about. Kyle.

"I'm sure you'll do your best, Lucas. Now, it's time for Head Girl. This is a surprise, actually. This time, there was only one girl you people really wanted to be in charge! Serena Agnethe, would you come on down!"

"Huh?!" Serena couldn't believe what she just heard. "People voted me? But why?"

"Stop fretting, just go down there and make another speech!" Kyle said, smiling. Serena sighed, and went down, and took the badge. She shook her principal's hand, and stood next to Lucas - who was at least a foot taller than her.

"Um…this is a surprise! I honestly never thought I had a shot at this. Um…but I'll do my best!" Serena said. "Thank you all, and good luck for the school year!" The audience applauded, but not as much as they did for Lucas. _Damn, this is going to be so annoying. If I have to do my duties with Lucas, Kyle's going to be so angry..._

The assembly eventually ended, and Serena and Kyle left school. Lucas walked past them, without saying hello.

"So, we going to the mall now?" Kyle asked. "We could go to Bar Seoul again. Maybe we'll see Blaine there!"

"Sounds nice, but he's not working tonight. He's having Lucy and Shirley over to his place." Serena said. "Kyle, we need to talk. Lucas and I are going to have to work together now, and I don't want things to be awkward if you're around. Why can't you just get along with him?"

"Serena, it's because...he's like Matthew." Kyle said. His eyes were already watering as he spoke. "Matthew said the same kind of thing, you know? Not to let being in a wheelchair limit me, trying to get me to take part more…"

"You wish you could?" Serena asked.

"Of course I do, dammit! If I could just run like the others, there'd be no problem! I could race Matthew to the store instead of him having to wait for me, not be too late to catch the bus…but I'll never be out of this thing, will I?" Kyle said. "Lucas was right…but without Matthew, I just can't get past it!"

"Isn't there anything I can do, Kyle?" Serena asked. "I know I'm not Matthew, but-"

"Yeah, you're not him. No one is. I'll never see him again..." Kyle said. He tried to stop, but it was futile. The tears came to him, and Serena hugged him close.

"I'm sorry, Kyle. Let's go to the mall. We'll worry about Lucas tomorrow." Serena said.

"Okay..." Kyle tearfully said. Serena sighed, and the two of them started making their way towards the mall.

_**Dan and Blaine's House, 5:30 pm**_

Dan couldn't believe his eyes as he walked through the door. Just about every speck of dust and dirt had been cleaned away, and there was a strong smell of pine air freshener.

"This _is _the right house, right?" Dan asked.

"You bet it is!" Blaine said, walking into the hallway. He had changed into his best shirt and there was a faint smell of cologne. "You think Lucy will like it?"

"Dude, didn't you listen to what I said this morning at all?" Dan asked, bemused. "Think about it. If you're worried, she'll pick up on that and it'll just spoil everything. So just relax and enjoy having company for once!"

"Alright, alright. Oh yeah, I decided to cook some sea bass for dinner. I was asking some guys what I should make, and that Zao guy gave me a full recipe over text message. Without looking it up, either." Blaine said, chuckling.

"Fish, huh? That guy must be some kind of fanatic. Still, can't be worse than my cooking. And before you say anything, Mrs Spencer, I'm off to change clothes." Dan said, walking upstairs.

"Well hurry up, they'll be here soon!" Blaine said. Before he had a chance to go back into the kitchen, which he had spent nearly half an hour scrubbing up and down, the doorbell rang. "Oh crap!"

"Did you remember to dust the mantelpiece?" Dan shouted from upstairs, in a mock high pitched voice.

"That's enough out of you! Oh god..." Blaine said. Quickly, he ran and opened the door.

"Hey handsome!" Lucy said, giving Blaine a quick kiss.

"Hello! I have to say, I was surprised you let me come over." Shirley said.

"A friend of Lucy is a friend of mine. Besides, Dan's here, so you'll have someone to talk to!" Blaine said. "Well, come inside!"

The two ladies walked in, and from the looks on their faces, they were impressed. Lucy noticed the nearly empty pack of wipes on the table, however, and laughed.

"Since when did you know how to clean anything except your motorcycle?" Lucy teased.

"Let's just say I was waiting for the right moment to clean the house. We don't get much company…" Blaine said, sheepishly.

"Don't look so embarrassed. This is a lot better than what I was expecting!" Lucy said. "I don't even see a can of beer on the floor…"

"Of course there isn't! Why would there be?" Blaine said, looking sideways. "Anyway, Dan should be ready in a second."

"Evening, girls!" Dan said as he entered the room, wearing a new blue shirt. "Ah, Lucy, the woman who stole Blaine away from me!"

"He _is _joking about that, right?" Lucy asked.

"Of course I am. I'm just glad someone took an interest in him. Gets him out of the house for more than just the darts night." Dan said, smirking. "You're Shirley, correct?"

"That's right! Remember, we met at the barbecue not long ago. It was quite a good night!" Shirley said, smiling. "We weren't sure if you wanted us to bring anything, so we didn't. Sorry!"

"Don't be silly! We're not high society like Nathan, are we? All you needed to do was show up!" Blaine said. "Now then, take a seat."

"It's not as bad as it looked on the outside." Shirley said. "It feels nice here."

"You sure it's not because Blaine used up all the air freshener?" Dan said.

"No, that's not it. Although it is pretty good." Shirley said. "Whoa! A piano!"

"Oh, that old thing?" Blaine said, just before he went to the kitchen. He pointed to the old piano in the living room, with a few photos and pieces of paper on it. "Yeah, that was here when we moved in. No idea why, so we just kinda went with it."

"It's beautiful! In fact, I've seen that style before. It was in an old book from the 1960's my father bought for me." Shirley said.

"Oh, here we go! Anything to do with the piano, Shirley jumps all over it! And I thought I'd finally escape another night of piano practice, too!" Lucy said.

"It's the best instrument in the world. I love it, every single thing about it. Would anyone mind if I played a few tunes before dinner?" Shirley asked.

"No, not at all. First time anyone's used it. So it might be dirty -"

"Actually, I took the time to dust it earlier." Blaine said.

"See Blaine, this is why I keep calling you a girl." Dan said, chuckling again. "Okay Shirley, tickle the ivories!"

"Gladly!" Shirley soon began playing a beautiful, emotional melody with her eyes closed. Her skill was incredible, but Blaine figured this was just her favourite song to play. Even so, it was one of the nicest tunes he had ever heard - of course, he'd still rather rock out to _Sex Meteorite_. This, however, was less awkward.

"Phew…first time I've played that with my eyes shut. On a piano I've never used before!" Shirley said. "_Aria of the Soul_ is amazing."

"You know what else would be amazing? You not playing it when I'm trying to study!" Lucy said, groaning.

"Shirley, that was brilliant. You ever thought of performing professionally?" Dan asked.

"Who, me? As if! I'm not that great." Shirley said. "I keep going from hobby to hobby…piano's the one I keep coming back to, though."

"I can see why. You're incredible." Dan said, smiling.

"Thanks a lot." Shirley said, her face turning red. _Well, this is working out nicely! _Blaine grinned, and quickly gave Dan a thumb's up. However, he didn't notice, as he was staring at Shirley.

"Oh yeah, I better check on the sea bass!" Blaine said, running into the kitchen.

"Zao?" Lucy asked.

"Zao." Dan said.

"Who was Zao again?" Shirley asked. "He wasn't that weirdo who was talking about fish, was he?"

"The very same." Lucy said. "What Amara sees in him, I will never know."

_**Legarte Harbour, 6pm**_

"Amara!"

Zao quickly rushed over, and kissed Amara on the cheek. "Good to see ya! I have a bit of a surprise for you, actually…"

"What?" Amara asked.

"Ta-da!" Zao produced vouchers from his pockets, that were a 10% off deal for the Mussel Inn. "Come on, how about it?"

"Sounds perfect." Amara said, smiling. "You will try not to make a mess this time, right?"

"You know I don't make promises I can't keep!" Zao said, laughing. "Don't worry about it. As long as we have enough napkins, it won't look that bad. Besides, the dry cleaners and I are on a first name basis by now."

"Zao, how are you feeling after last night?" Amara asked.

"Last night? It was...weird." Zao said. "We fought this weird shadow, I think I told you about it."

"Yeah, that's right. I've been thinking about Adrian and the others, really. Zao, you said it was a dark silhouette thing, right?" Amara said.

"That's right. And I'm not sure how I even know that word, either." Zao said. "Okay, don't glare at me! I'm just trying to lighten the mood! I know last night sucked, but it's not over yet!"

"I know it's not. We're in the other world for a reason. We'll find a way to stop the Eternal Road and defeat the Ater Vox." Amara said.

"Exactly! And I'll finally figure out why that weird Shadow looks like - um -"

"Looks like what, Zao?" Amara asked.

"Never mind. Come with me!" Zao said, taking Amara's hand. The smell of freshly caught fish grew stronger and stronger, as they reached the Mussel Inn yet again.

_I must be crazy about him if this is the third time we've been here together, huh?_

_**Tara and Adrian's House, 6:21pm**_

"So, did you tell him the good news yet?" Tara asked, grinning.

"Tell me what?" Nathan already knew what their news was. He saw Adrian's other self propose, albeit to a Tara who had no idea who he was. Yet, she felt there was something familiar about him. His death hurt her more than he could have imagined.

"Well…I asked Tara to marry me, and she said yes!" Adrian said, excited.

"Really? That's fantastic!" Nathan said. He and Adrian hugged each other. "So what made you decide to propose?"

"You mean other than having such a talented fiancé who doesn't mind me singing in my sleep?" Adrian said.

"He sings opera, of all things!" Tara said, smirking.

"You usually sing along to wake me up! Well, I just figured it was the right time. It's been years since we met, and it's been great. My life would be pretty crappy if I hadn't met you three, I think." Adrian said. "Hey, you two have been together before us. Isn't it about time you thought of tying the knot?"

"Oh, I already asked her about that." Tara said. "It was quite an interesting conversation, but she begged me to keep it secret. Draw your own conclusions."

"Well, I guess I'm happy with the way things are. Even if Nathan and his father aren't getting along at the minute." Priscilla said. "Now then, does this mean we get to help plan the wedding?"

"You bet!" Adrian said. "Especially the catering, I can never remember who's a vegetarian and who isn't. I nearly got fired when I gave my boss a ham sandwich for lunch."

"Don't you worry, guys. Your wedding will be great!" Nathan said. "Thought of a date yet?"

"We're thinking near the end of the year, so December sometime. Now then, Nathan, I'm sure this will be of absolutely no surprise to you, but there's someone I want to make best man already." Adrian said.

"Well, I wonder who that could be! Is it someone you've known for quite a while and see almost every day?" Adrian said.

"Of course it is. In case he can't make it, though, you're up!" Adrian said.

"Wow, thanks. Ah, I know you're kidding. There's no way I'd say no!" Nathan said.

_December...will everything still be alright then? There are only two Divine Sparks to go, after all. I have to make sure both worlds are safe before the wedding. Then I can think about my own. _

_**Dan and Blaine's house, 6:38pm  
**_

"That was delicious!" Shirley said, the last to finish.

"Yeah, it was. I was afraid we'd just have another Chinese." Lucy said. "I'll say this about Zao, he knows his stuff. Although I think I've got the sexier chef by far!"

"Amara would kill you if she heard you say that!" Blaine said, laughing. Of course, he was pleased by the compliment.

"Well then, we'll keep that between the four of us." Lucy said.

"So what is your work like, Lucy?" Dan asked.

"It's great. I never though such a small time magazine could be so much work. Although the other girls aren't working quite as hard as they could be, most of the time." Lucy said. "I'd love to work their full time once I'm done with college."

"So you can perform your coup d'etat?" Blaine said, and he and Lucy laughed.

"That's the idea!" Lucy said. "One thing's for sure though, I'm not going back home. Well, I might go back and visit, but this city's so much better!"

"Really? Even with Kanaloa on the map?" Dan said.

"It can't be all that bad, considering I'm here now…" Lucy said, gazing into Blaine's eyes.

"There she goes again, going for another romantic moment." Shirley said.

"It worked!" Blaine said. He and Lucy quickly kissed each other, and Dan and Shirley laughed.

"What about you, Shirley? You ever felt like going to college?" Dan asked.

"I thought about it a couple of times, but I couldn't decide which one to go to. I'm happier teaching piano. Although there are a lot of other things I like doing. I've tried hairdressing, pottery, embroidery, gardening…the list goes on!" Shirley said, giggling. "There's also singing, too. I kind of liked that karaoke bar me and Lucy went to."

"Yeah, Shirley was easily the best out of all of us." Lucy said. "Which isn't saying a lot, really. I sounded like a cat being strangled by a radioactive spider."

"Interesting analogy, Lucy. Anyway, Dan, you like your job?" Shirley asked.

"After all this time, yeah. I can't imagine doing something different now." Dan said. "Actually, it's kind of rewarding, just to hear the passengers saying 'thanks' after they get off. It's not bad money, either. Better than what Blaine gets for serving dishes he can't pronounce!"

"Hey, my job's kind of rewarding too!" Blaine said. "Cause…uh…okay it isn't. But it's still kind of fun. I get on with the other guys, and I'm friends with some of the regulars. Anyway, what do you ladies want to do now?"

"Well, there's nothing good on TV. How about we look in the cupboard for some board games?" Dan said. "Let me guess, Blaine, you dusted those as well?"

"When you get started dusting, it's hard to stop…" Blaine said, a little perturbed at himself.

_**Amara's Apartment, 9:30 pm**_

"That was really good tonight." Amara said. "I'm stuffed, though. Someone's going to have to carry me to my room!" She snuggled up to Zao, and the two of them giggled.

"Hey, Amara...have you ever thought about what the other me is doing?" Zao asked.

"A few times, yeah. Why?" Amara asked. "We can ask Seraphina to help find them, if you're worried!"

"...No. It's just me thinking. Besides, the other Zao probably isn't anything like me." Zao said.

"Maybe not, but he's still you! If he was in trouble, we'd help him. I don't want him to end up like the other me." Amara said.

"Yeah. That'd be horrible." Zao said. "I'll figure it out soon, I can feel it."

"Come on, don't talk about that tonight. Let's just watch the movie!" Amara said.

"Alright. Your movie collection is weird, though." Zao said. "Oh yeah, must ask Blaine how the fish went."

"I get the feeling it went down a treat! It did tonight…" Amara said, kissing Zao on the cheek.

"See? Fish makes for romantic meals every time!" Zao said. The two of them sat together, watching the movie (which seemed to be about a war, but it was hard to tell). It wasn't the movie either of them was worried about, however. It was each other.

_**Dan and Blaine's house, 9:46pm**_

"Well, that was a lot of fun. Thanks for having us around." Shirley said. "It was nice seeing you again, Dan."

"Yeah…it was great seeing you as well. You will be alright for getting home, right?" Dan asked.

"Don't worry about that. Another hobby I picked up was tae kwon do." Shirley said, smiling.

"We have to do this again sometime, Blaine. Perhaps just the two of us. You know, you didn't have to clean the whole house top to bottom just for me. Even if you were trying to hide some of the dirty movies Amara told me about!" Lucy said.

"Well, why would I need those now?" Blaine said, with a sly smile.

"Blaine, that aspect of your life is one I don't need to hear about." Dan said. "Although if you can get her to do half of what those girls did in those movies, more power to ya."

"Relax, Blaine. The last thing I want is a guy changing themselves for me. Although it was nice of you to care so much…" Lucy said. She kissed him yet again, causing him to turn red.

"I'll see you tomorrow for lunch, right?" Blaine asked.

"Of course! Bye!" Lucy said, as the two of them left.

"Success, then?" Dan asked, as the two men went back indoors.

"Fuck yeah!" Blaine said, excited. "Dan, this was the best night I've had in ages! I have to ask her around again soon!"

"Easy there, cowboy. If she likes you that much, she'll be back. Though I'll have to make myself scarce…" Dan said.

"Don't worry about that. You were a great help. Also, you and Shirley seemed to be getting on well…" Blaine said, nudging Dan with his elbow.

"Yeah, she's a great girl. It'd be nice to see her again." Dan said, sitting down. "Come on, grab a beer. The night's not over yet. You'll see her soon enough, but for now, it's guy time."

"Sounds fun. I could use a break from…well, you know." Blaine said. Going back to the other world wasn't particularly fun, but he didn't have a choice. Two Divine Sparks were left of the Eternal Road. There had to be something he could do to help stop them. Shrugging it off, he returned to the kitchen once more.


	47. Chapter 47: Reborn Cross

**Chapter 47: Reborn Cross  
**

_Outside Motion Publishing, Morning_

"Phew..." Amara said. She didn't much sleep last night, but neither did Zao. It was still a very fun night, but she could tell Zao was concerned about something. What this was, however, Zao didn't reveal.

"Oh, hello Amara!" Karen stepped in front of Amara, looking rather happy herself. It was no surprise that she was so happy, of course, as Roger was standing next to her, looking very handsome in his usual office attire.

"Good morning, Karen." Amara said. "And to you, Mr Martin."

"I see you've got her well trained already!" Roger said.

"Yes! She even knows how to fetch!" Karen said, giggling. "Roger, thank you for driving me here!"

"Oh, the pleasure was all mine. Remember, I'm picking you up after work, so hang around, okay?" Roger said.

"Definitely! Have a good day, sweetheart." Karen said, and the two of them shared an intimate kiss. Roger, emboldened by this, practically leapt with joy as he returned to his car.

"You two look really close now..." Amara said, smiling. "It's like you've never been apart!"

"I know. Despite him being a millionaire, and my career, he's still the same man I fell in love with. The one who helped me pick up the pieces and start living again." Karen said, waving as the car drove past. "I just wish I had handled being away from him better. Four divorces isn't a very good track record, is it?"

"Nothing you can do about that now. Besides, he was the one you were waiting for all along! And I'd say he was worth waiting for, too. If he doesn't care about those other guys, why should you?" Amara said.

"Good point. How are you and Zao, anyway?" Karen asked, looking at Amara with an eager look in her eyes.

"Fine, really. Zao's the same old goofball. The only weird part is he's best friends with my ex." Amara said uncomfortably. "I can handle it, but it's hard not to remember how much I loved Karl. He was the first guy I really cared about, and we had a lot of good times together."

"Love is tough...trust me, I know. I married four men just because I thought I loved them. Looking back, they just reminded me of someone I loved a lot more. I was lucky to find Roger again...if I hadn't, I probably would have continued trying to replace him. I'm glad you didn't do the same." Karen said. "If you're not happy about spending time with Karl, just talk to Zao. He'd understand."

"Thanks, Karen. Now let's go! We have work to do!" Amara said. The two of them went up the elevator, chatting the whole time, ready for another hard day.

_Later, at Cocoa Harbour_

Amara was with the others at an outside table, ready to return to the other world. Nathan and Serena looked uneasy, but Blaine had a focused look on him. Zao was running late, as he had to get changed and have a quick snack before heading out. Sipping on the coffee, she watched the waves and the seagulls fly by.

"Come on, Nathan, look more excited! We're going to fuck up some Shadows tonight!" Blaine said, lightly punching him on the shoulder.

"Don't do that. And it's hard to get into it when last time, Adrian and the others died right in front of us!" Nathan said. "Speaking of Adrian... It turns out in this world, he did propose to Tara. They're getting married sometime in December."

"That's nice! At least this world's Tara is happy. Good luck to her!" Serena said. "Kyle's been really moody lately. I'm the Head Girl at my school now, and Kyle doesn't like the guy who was made Head Boy."

"Is it Lucas?" Amara asked. Serena nodded, pensive. "Oh...you must have heard his thoughts as well. When I heard Colette's inner thoughts, I realised how complex people can really be."

"You getting artistic inspiration?" Blaine asked.

"Don't laugh! I express myself via my artwork. I'll show you sometime!" Amara said.

"I'm looking forward to it. Just remember to make us look good if you draw us." Blaine said. "In my case, art will imitate life!"

"Someone's confident!" Serena said.

"You bet I am! Lucy and I had a lot of fun last night." Blaine said, with a daring smile. "It's only been a little while, but she's already the best girlfriend I've ever had. Of course, the last one...never mind, that's a dark and somewhat sordid story for another time. I get the feeling me and Lucy are going to last for quite a while!"

"Well, congratulations. Perhaps this will be the making of you." Nathan said, sarcastically.

"Don't be such a downer, dude! This relationship's just improving on perfection!" Blaine said, pointing at himself. "Just kidding. Zao ready yet?"

"Actually, there he is now!" Amara said, pointing at the door. Zao ran in, wearing an orange t-shirt and brown shorts. "Zao, are you sure you want to go into the other world dressed like that?"

"Of course! Why, doesn't this shirt go with the shorts?" Zao said. "Maybe you could get Colette to give us fashion tips before we leave next time. Then we can fight in style."

"Most of us already do that, Zao. You need all the help we can get." Blaine said. Zao frowned, and Blaine laughed. "I'm messin' with ya, boy! You just need to train harder!"

"No, Blaine, I am _not_ using those ankle weights again." Zao said, sighing. "Oh, almost forgot. I got you something, Amara!"

"Oh?" Amara was surprised - Zao hadn't given her gifts before. However, she gasped in surprise at what he presented in front of her - a beautiful white and purple seashell that shone in the sunlight. "Wow, Zao! This is gorgeous... I've never seen anything like this at the beach before!"

"I know the best places to look. There's not an inch of Saragel Beach I haven't explored - and most of Kanaloa, too. Next time I'll bring you along, and we'll have a huge collection!" Zao said, grinning. "Okay then, time for some coffee. Then I'll be ready to beat up some Shadows! _Woo hoo_!"

"How does he manage to be so cheerful?" Nathan asked.

"It's the sea breeze. It must do crazy shit with your head." Blaine said. The team continued to drink and chat, preparing for more fighting.

_The Mole, Other World_

The Mole was not any more appealing than usual. Tonight, Dan had brought Matthew here, and the younger of the Kingsley brothers couldn't believe his eyes. It was an absolutely foul establishment, filled with shabby, hopeless men who had only one thing left in life - alcohol.

"Dan, why are we here?" Matthew asked.

"Matthew...ten years ago, I thought I had lost everything. Kanaloa, Blaine, and you." Dan said, seriously. "This sounds melodramatic, I know -"

"Since when did you use words like 'melodramatic'?" Matthew asked.

"Trust me, when you're so bored you read Priscilla's girl magazines, you learn a few things." Dan said. "Don't interrupt me, Matt! I'm trying to tell you a true story here!"

"Sorry, big bro! I didn't mean to spoil your heartrending tale!" Matthew said. "I think I know most of it already, anyway. You were here for eight years after Kanaloa was destroyed by the Divine Spark, and you spent most of it drunk."

"That's...pretty much it." Dan said, looking around him. "Two years ago, I was just like these poor saps. We didn't have homes to go to, so we just camped out here. The owner didn't really give a shit, and he just kept serving drinks. When I was sober, all I could think about was you. How old you would have been, why the city had to get filled with the Shadows...you know."

"Well, that IS melodramatic. But I'm still here. And you've got everyone back at the base!" Matthew said. "Things are looking up!"

"That's right, Matt! Now I'm kicking all sorts of ass. And I finally get to look after my kid brother again." Dan said, ruffling Matthew's hair.

"I'm twenty, you know. Anyway, why do you keep coming back here?" Matthew asked. "It's not like you can help the others, is it?"

"Not now, anyway. If we could figure out how to stop the Divine Sparks, everything would be hunky dory for these guys. They could finally move on, stop drinking and start over. Really, I come here because it's the only place left with cheap booze. Also, Kaman helped me out, so I like to repay him." Dan said. "That's him, over there."

"Oh, good evening Dan. Who's this kid?" Kaman asked.

"I'm twenty! I can hold my own liquor! Anyway, I'm Dan's brother. Name's Matthew."

"...Matthew?" Kaman asked, confused. Dan bit his lip - he had spent years here, dwelling on the past. Now his dead brother was alive and well, and he didn't have a good answer why. Kaman didn't know the full story of Dan and his friends, but he could tell there was something different about them. Dan couldn't risk Kaman knowing the full truth.

"Um, it's a long story. Basically, I found him by chance when I was in...uh...Takanawa!" Dan said. "Can you believe it? Matthew's been alive all this time, and I never knew!"

"That is pretty amazing, yes." Kaman said. "If you had met him earlier, you wouldn't have had to stink this place out for eight years!"

"Trust me, these days I have a very refined musk." Dan said. "Shirley around?"

"You show up with your apparently deceased brother and you just drop it like that? Oh brother. She's getting ready upstairs. I'll make Matthew something good while you're waiting." Kaman said. He went away to check the shelves, scanning various varieties of vodka.

"We should have a drink in Clairdol sometime." Matthew said. "It'd be better than this place."

"Maybe, but there's only one bar with Shirley, and that's this one." Dan said, giving Matthew a wink.

"Oh, you finally got yourself a woman?" Matthew said. "Even in a city crowded with monsters, you still managed to turn on the charm and pick up a lady! That's my big brother!"

"Well, it's not like I was trying to score with her or anything. I just like to make sure she doesn't get trouble from the other guys. She was pretty cold until the last time we spoke, and I'm hoping she'll be glad to see me again." Dan said.

"So, she's not your girlfriend?" Matthew asked. "What are you waiting for? It's not like you've got any competition!"

"Maybe, but I spend all day fighting Shadows and working with the other guys. I don't really have the time for a girlfriend." Dan said, glum. "If all this Shadow shit stopped, then I'd ask her out in a flash. Till them, the rebellion comes first."

"Is that her?!" Matthew pointed, as Shirley walked out of the door behind the bar.

"Quiet! Don't scare her off!" Dan snapped.

"Oh, it's you!" Shirley said, with a slight smile. "I was wondering when I'd next see you. Who's this?"

"I'm Matthew Kingsley! Dan's younger brother! We're finally together again, after ten long years. You're Shirley, right?"

"Yes, I am. I play the piano here at night. Of course, your brother is my only fan!" Shirley said, giggling.

"I know good music when I hear it! How about you play a little ditty for my little brother?" Dan asked, arm around Matthew.

"Sure. Just give me a second to prepare." Shirley said. "I've had a bit of a headache for a while, and it won't go away. I've tried drinking water, but we don't have any medicine here."

"That's strange..." Dan said. "Don't worry about it. If you're not feeling well, just stop."

"I already said I'll play. Besides, if I focus on this, the pain isn't so bad." Shirley said. Before Dan could say another word, she headed straight for the piano.

"Come on, it's so obvious!" Matthew said, exasperated.

"What is?" Dan asked.

"Oh, brother. She likes you, Dan. How can you not see it?" Matthew said.

"Matthew, if you're trying to get me to ask her out, it's not working. You know how dangerous fighting Shadows is. It's not like Karen and Roger - they've both got Personas." Dan said. He looked over at Shirley, who was adjusting the piano stool. "What if...we were out on a date, somewhere, and Shadows came? I could beat them, but if one of them got to Shirley and she couldn't get away-"

"Okay, I get it! You don't have to get all emotional on me! I just wanted you to be happy, that's all." Matthew said.

"Heh. Thanks, Matthew. You're a good little brother." Dan said. Now, he was all smiles. Ever since Matthew had returned, Dan felt like a huge weight was off his shoulders. Even if he was an adult, Dan still felt like he had to look after him. And that was what he was going to do tonight. "Anyway, Kaman, what have you got for this guy?"

"A pint of your favourite ale. And one for you too, obviously." Kaman said, serving the large glasses.

"Your favourite? It's mine, too! This is going to be one hell of a night!" Matthew said.

The two brothers drank, as Shirley's upbeat melodies filled the bar. Matthew kept silent as Dan stared longingly at her, as her fingers embraced the ivory and ebony keys. All Matthew wanted was to see Dan happy with someone, so he didn't have to worry about Shadows every second. Shirley seemed to enjoy Dan's company, as well. Surely, in troubled times like these, being together would make the dark days feel a little more bearable?

Matthew noticed Kaman giving him odd looks throughout the evening. Each time he stared at Matthew, it was not for long, but it odd every time. As if he was somewhere he shouldn't be. Kaman kept polishing glasses, which seemed to be something he did often.

_Secret Base_

_Aeternus Headquarters, Meeting Room_

All six members were assembled, after two days of constant activity. The citizens were in a state of distress after the three recent Divine Sparks, and some were concerned about the lack of updates on the 'Last Soldier' group. Not only that, many felt the Ornatu Legion weren't performing as well as they could have been.

"So, do we actually need to do anything? Once all the Divine Sparks are done, any concerns our citizens may have will be meaningless." Pierre asked.

"There is always a danger they will switch support to the idiotic rebels." Archibald said. "And if that happens, our ability to control the populace diminishes. You do realise how many natural Persona users are now against us."

"Unfortunately, we no longer have anyone to take up the Last Soldier title." Josephine said. "Perhaps the time to scout the city for new users would be worthwhile."

"You may do so if you wish." Nihane said. "I'm just glad the experiments on Lucas O'Neil, Adrian Gale, Colette Hamilton and Joseph Kowalski went so swimmingly. They became Shadows themselves, and from Carlos' report, they were rather potent adversaries."

"Yes, it was quite a worthwhile venture. The sheer level of grief truly hastened the Nova Albion Divine Spark. Now if we can find others within our ranks with personal ties to our enemies, we can probably finish the Eternal Road by the end of 2012." Carlos said. However, something was bothering him. "Archibald, do you remember what I informed you of?"

"Yes…there was someone there who aided the rebels. He wore the same face as I, and looked just like me. And even more worrying is that he had a companion, who resembled Nina." Archibald said. "It would seem they are the source of the Traesto spell that occurred in Tachibana University."

"Why do we have doppelgangers roaming the city?" Nina asked, pounding her desk. "The idea of me helping that stupid sister is absurd!"

"Yes, the idea that you'd be of any use is rather outlandish. I agree!" Nihane said, smiling as Nina frowned. "I merely jest, Nina. We have too little information to go on, so we leave the situation alone for now. We merely make another speech to the public, and dispatch more Ornatu Legion soldiers. That should put their worries at ease for now. Before I depart to investigate Inanis, there's another issue I wish to raise. There was another skirmish on the night of the Divine Spark, wasn't there? Involving SD00?"

"Oh! Yes!" Carlos said. "I left it on the floor above me, but it looks like they discovered it. From what I hear, that weird blue haired boy with the fishy smell had a peculiar attachment to it. I'm not sure why, however. I wasn't in charge of the creation of SD00. Archibald was, though. Do you have some insight?"

"Let me just say this. SD00 meeting Zao Yuria is very significant indeed." Archibald said, with a menacing laugh. "It would be faster to show you. Watch." Within a few key presses, everyone saw the image of 'SD00' on their screens.

"Well, Archibald wasn't joking. This _is_ significant." Nina said, staring closely.

_Secret Base_

When Amara and the others arrived at the secret base, Tara was sitting at the table drinking coffee with Priscilla whilst Roger was lecturing Kyle about something. Karen was watching them bicker, and kept quiet.

"See, Kyle? I was right! You messed up the wiring! You could have been electrocuted, with this shoddy attempt at cabling. That's why I fixed it for you!" Roger said.

"I get it! I was getting around to it, but I've been busy lately!" Kyle said. "Besides, I can handle this computer myself!"

"Really? I've seen the way your files are organised, and they're all over the place. You could learn from me, kid." Roger said. "Maybe you could even fix that program you can't run."

"It's a work in progress. I can handle it, honestly." Kyle said, shaking his head. "Why can't you just leave me be?"

"You mean apart from the faulty electric work? I'm good with machines, you know. When Archie found me, I was trying to build a computer that could attract Shadows. The idea was that I could keep getting stronger. Finding the spare parts was a nightmare, but I almost did it. Turns out Archie and his gang already perfected such a device, and they used it in places like Lorean Tower or the tunnels." Roger said.

"Truly fascinating. I just wish Dan was here..." Kyle said, annoyed.

"Sorry, Kyle, but until you're 18 you'll just have to wait here. At least you have Roger to keep you company!" Karen said.

"Oh, wonderful. I'm sure we'll have an absolutely _terrific_ time." Kyle ignored Roger's glare, and turned back to his computer.

"Kids these days!" Roger said, with a silly smile. "They think they can do everything themselves - oh, it's you guys!"

"Ah, sorry about that. We were just enjoying you guys getting along so well." Nathan said. "I presume Daniel is at The Mole once again?"

"Yes, and so is Matthew. The two have a lot to catch up on." Priscilla said. "Also, Dan's been asking me about how to talk to the lady that plays the piano there. I just tell him to be himself, but he demands for actual advice, and I tell him I'll think of some later. Honestly, I don't think he needs the help. He's a good man!"

"Just don't tell him to grow a beard. Trust me, it looks way worse than the goatee does." Blaine said, shuddering. "Anyway, where are Aimee and Seraphina?"

"I'm coming!" Aimee said, running out of the kitchen. She had a rather feminine pink apron on, and some oven mitts. "I never expected you guys to come now. How have you been?"

"Oh, we're doing okay. Just trying to carry on as normal. How about you guys?" Serena asked, glancing at Tara.

"I'm fine, honestly. But when I next see Carlos, I will make him feel exactly what I felt!" Tara said. "Priscilla's helped me a bit, though. She was talking about what happened after the Divine Spark at Farawell."

"It's strange...it feels like I've known Tara for a long time." Priscilla said. "Of course, in your world we have. Which worries me - why are we experiencing feelings from another dimension?"

"I don't know, but it's definitely something to watch out for." Nathan said. "Okay, what about Stella? I don't see her anywhere."

"She left a while ago, saying she had a destination to reach. No one knew what she was on about, but we assumed she knew what she was doing." Aimee said. "She did promise she'd return before midnight, though. Anyway, if you guys want to go out and train, go ahead. How about Farawell?"

"Fine with me!" Nathan said. "Kyle, don't let Roger get under your skin. He's only trying to help."

"Well, I don't need it -" Kyle said, but was quickly interrupted as his program crashed. "Damn!"

"That, Kyle, is because you forgot a data error exception. Let me have a look." Roger said.

"Fine…" Kyle muttered, moving his seat. "Oh, good luck, Serena!"

"Thanks! Have fun!" Serena waved, running through the NDD.

_Farawell, Maravella Junction_

"We're getting close to where the cathedral was." Nathan said. "It's still strange, not seeing it in the sky anymore."

"Especially since we saw it in our world not so long ago." Amara said. "How about we head over there for today? There's quite a few Shadows up ahead, so it should be good practice!"

"Okay! I'll show you what Rashnu can do!" Zao leapt forward, and the team battled their way towards the cathedral.

Alas, Zao often had to leave tougher Shadows for the others to defeat, but no matter how many times he needed to be assisted, he kept on smiling and put on a show of boundless energy. Rashnu was definitely stronger than before, though, and Zao took delight in stopping enemies from healing themselves. The others hadn't learned any new skills for quite some time, although they did notice their elemental moves increasing in power. Stella would probably be able to tell them why when she returned later on.

It was not far from Maravella Junction to Farawell Cathedral, but due to the high number of Shadows, it took quite some time to get there. No one seemed to mind, though, especially Blaine as Tlaloc ripped apart Shadows in the blink of an eye. Nathan, however, seemed to be going through the motions, barely concentrating as Setanta's winds blasted the Shadows to pieces.

"Nathan, you're barely even trying..." Serena said.

"And yet I'm still doing rather well. There's no reason to exert excessive energy over training." Nathan said.

"Nathan, look out!" Amara shouted. A Samurai Shadow was behind Nathan, who remained unaware of the assailant. Nathan turned round, and before he could have been struck by the Samurai's sharp blade, Tlaloc's hammer crushed the monster into the ground.

"That was close - ow!" Nathan clutched his shoulder, wincing, after Blaine harshly thumped him. "What did you do that for?"

"Are you a fucking moron? You don't focus on fighting, you'll get killed!" Blaine yelled, furious. "Don't you remember when we first met, and you told me not to treat it like a game? Well, that's what you're doing right now! Even Zao's trying harder than you!"

"...I'm sorry. Ever since I had that talk with my father, I've not been able to get into the spirit of things." Nathan said.

"What's he talking about?" Serena asked.

"He didn't tell you girls? His dad told Nathan he actually did have that affair with Josephine!" Zao said, somehow not fazed by the situation. "Although I never figured she was lying."

"To be honest, neither did I. I just thought that if he told me it was all a lie and there was nothing going on, then everything would be okay and I could think of Josephine as nothing more but a lying witch." Nathan said, sighing. "Ngh...I think I deserved that punch."

"You're damn right you did! Not just for nearly getting killed, though. You haven't even spoken to your dad since then, yeah?" Blaine said, even more bitter. "Some people would be grateful to have their dad around, even if they hate their guts. You think about that."

"Blaine, I...again, I'm sorry. This is the first thing I've been scared of in my whole life. Even the Shadows don't scare me as much as this..." Nathan said, eyes to the ground. Normally, he stood tall and tried to be brave, but now he was cowering at the very thought of his dad. It really was odd to see Nathan afraid of something.

"Look, it's not so bad. As long as Nathan fights harder from now on, we'll be okay!" Amara said, trying to smile. It was harder than Zao made it look, however, to force an expression of happiness. Nathan nodded, but didn't look any less troubled. Blaine sighed, and just shrugged. "We're near the cathedral site, anyway. Let's go."

Amara and Nathan went on ahead. Serena looked at Blaine for a few seconds, and Zao ran on ahead, letting out a rather weak battle cry.

"Blaine, do you miss your father?" Serena asked.

"It's been twenty years, and not a day goes by when I don't think about him." Blaine said. "I shouldn't have let you see me so mad, though. Let's try and enjoy ourselves as long as we're here."

"Okay!" Serena said. The two of them rejoined the others, and eventually, they were at the dark crater where the Cathedral once stood.

_Farawell Cathedral Site_

"This is where the other me and the other Serena were hiding, yeah?" Blaine asked, staring at the dark crater. No effort had been made to seal it off from the populace - the Shadows were deterrent enough.

"That's right. I still have her diary, and when I read it, it feels like I've written it. Well, I have, but...you know what I mean." Serena said.

"This is pretty freaky. It's like with the university and the mansion." Zao said. "There's two more to go, too. If we can't stop either of them, what will we do then? Could we stop the Eternal Road, whatever that is?"

"I've no idea. We really need a plan. One that will stop the Divine Sparks, the Eternal Road, Aeternus, the Ater Vox and all the Shadows. But we don't have that kind of power..." Amara said.

"Time's running out. We need a solution, and fast." Nathan said. "Perhaps we'll find a clue here."

"Why? There's nothing even here but a dark crater!" Zao said. "Wait, hold on a second!"

A dazzling flash of light came from the crater, and Amara was briefly blinded by the sheer strength of the flash. Just as it ended, three more flashes ensued.

"What the heck was that? A flash bomb?" Zao shouted, rubbing his eyes.

"I don't know - look!" Amara looked over at the crater, and saw four glowing objects in a cross formation. They were…people.

Amara and the others went down towards the crater, and when they were closer, they realised who those people were. It was unthinkable, but they were here once more, glowing with an ethereal light.

"Kazuya? Richard? Bianca? Alastair?" Nathan looked over their bodies. The Holy Cross had somehow returned from the dead - or perhaps they had never died in the first place. _Did they end up in Inanis? How did they get back here?_

"Well, I'll be damned. I never thought we'd see these guys again." Blaine said. "Why are they glowing like that?"

"I don't know!" Amara stared at Alastair's face. His eyes were completely shut, and he wasn't making any movement at all. When the Divine Spark happened, Nihane used his powers to control all four of them. Perhaps that had something to do with it. "We have to tell the others!"

"Yeah! Those Aeternus morons aren't going to get their hands on these guys again!" Zao said. "Let's hurry up and get these guys to the NDD!"

Nathan nodded, and turned around - but gasped.

"What?" Amara asked. The others looked behind them, and saw someone at the crater perimeter. A tall man, wearing sunglasses and a brown hat and coat. Apart from his dark skin, Amara couldn't tell what he looked like. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"Telling you my name now would be a poor decision. Follow me, and we'll sort out the Holy Cross."


	48. Chapter 48: Demonic Sponsors

**AN: **I hope everyone had a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I've been working on a bonus chapter to be put on my dA account, so check that out when it's done. Also, currently enjoying Paper Mario: Sticker Stars. It's quite fun. :D Anyway, read and review! Chapter 49 may be out this week! Also, profiles for Rudo and Tomas will be posted on deviantArt very soon.

Yes, the title of this chapter is a shout out to Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne. This arc is going to be a more emotional one than before, with two new Persona users coming later on and the return of the Holy Cross. I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

**Chapter 48: Demonic Sponsors**

_Farawell Cathedral Site_

Everyone stood there, dumbstruck. This mysterious man had declined to give his name, but he was offering to help the Holy Cross. Something about him felt familiar to Amara, however. Did she know who this person was? The hat and the sunglasses made it hard to see his face, which annoyed her greatly.

"Fine, we'll go with you." Amara suddenly said. "If you're trying to trick us, though, we won't have any mercy!"

"Amara's so cute when she's trying to sound tough!" Blaine said, grinning. Nathan smacked him on the back, and glared at him.

"Oh, that one was also for earlier." Nathan said. "Amara, do you really think this is the best thing to do?"

"Well, Kyle's not got the know-how to do it, and I doubt Roger does either. We could ask Seraphina, but we don't know where she's gone to prophesise. For now, we'll just play this by ear." Amara said. The man simply shrugged, and Amara stared at him. Had she said something embarrassing?

"Come with me. The location we're going to isn't easily accessible even with the convenience of those teleportation doors you've become accustomed to. Only someone like me can take you there." the man said. He stepped forward, and lifted Alastair with his arms. "Well, don't just stand there. Help me transport these people!"

"Seriously? We have to carry these guys?" Zao said. "But I'm not good at heavy lifting!"

"Just think of them as really big catches." Blaine said, as he picked up Richard without much effort. Nathan took Kazuya, and both he and Blaine looked at Zao expectantly. "You're not gonna ask the girls to do it, are ya?"

"Um...heck no! Don't worry, ladies! I'll take care of this!" Zao said, laughing nervously. He slowly picked up Bianca, grunting, and even more sluggishly made his way to the others. The group began following the unknown man, quietly (apart from Zao's grumbling). _Sorry about this, Zao, but it won't be for long!_

Eventually, the man took the group to the Farawell Shadow Development Centre.

"Wait! We can't go in there! Someone from the Ater Vox is in there, and we can't fight him carrying these guys!" Blaine said.

"Haha! I'm more familiar with your exploits than you may think. Archibald Ebert isn't here, actually. That obsessive old man is preoccupied with improving the quality of the Ornatu Legion." the man said. "We'll be fine just sauntering in here, trust me."

"Are you acquainted with Archibald yourself?" Nathan asked. "He's a coward who didn't even fight us in person!"

"All will be revealed in due time. Honestly, you lot have little patience. If you were in my shoes, you might know what it's truly like to wait for someone." the man said. "As I said before, we'll use the NDD on the ground floor to get to our destination. I can't tell you where it is yet, or you'll give in to mistrust from the get-go. And without trust, there is no success." the man said. _What the - I've heard someone say that before, too! In that same tone of voice! Could it be...?_

"Amara, what's wrong? You're acting weird!" Zao asked. "Oww! My arms! Bianca's heavier than she looks!"

"Really? She's rather svelte, from what I can see. Perhaps your arms need toning up, as well." Nathan said. "Perhaps Blaine can help you with a new exercise regime?" Blaine laughed, with a sinister air to his voice, and Zao whimpered, still struggling with the weight of Bianca.

"Stop teasing him!" Serena said. "I'm sure most of the fish Zao carries aren't as heavy as the Holy Cross!"

"Are you done talking? Then stop standing there and follow me!" the man said, annoyed. Amara and the others continued to follow him, and finally they reached the NDD in a room that was formerly locked. The only other thing in the room was a diagram of what looked like the clown Shadow they fought in June. Serena shuddered as she saw it, and Nathan grimaced at the sight of it. "Alright, here we are."

The man took out what looked like a mobile phone, and began bashing on a few keys. It seemed like he was sending a message to someone, but Amara wasn't close enough to see. He then retrieved a golden badge from his coat pocket, and shined it in front of the NDD. There was a strange humming sensation, and a symbol appeared in front of the number keys. The symbol looked like a circle with six points on it's perimeter, with the upper segment of the circle white and the others transparent. _That's the Aeternus logo. Is it a trap after all?_

"Holy crap! We're going to the Aeternus Headquarters?" Blaine said. "You better not try and screw things up for us, or we'll tear you a new one! Several new ones, in fact!"

"Is he always so boisterous?" the man said, sighing.

"That's one word for it, anyway. He _is_ Kanaloa." Nathan said, shrugging. "Listen, we've never ventured into the headquarters. From my understanding, they're impregnable, even for people like us."

"That's right. But with this, we can get inside to a special place. Don't worry, you won't be crossing swords with Nihane Kronos today." the man said. "This is your last chance to flee, if you're already convinced I'm untrustworthy."

"Screw that! We're going!" Amara said. "Whatever happens, happens!"

The man smiled, and Amara felt her heart race. He pushed several keys, and the door became active. Without another word, the man went through. Amara went in straight afterwards, ready for whatever was in store. She had a feeling she knew who the man really was, especially from the way he smiled. Soon, she would find out for sure.

_Aeternus Headquarters, Unknown Area_

Amara wound up in a cold, lifeless corridor. Apart from pale yellow light panels on the ceiling, there was virtually no decoration at all. The only sound was the quiet humming noise of machinery throughout the area. Despite being a man made structure, it didn't feel as if humans could build something so unwelcoming and so soulless. Even the Farawell Shadow Development Centre had a more accomodating atmosphere than this. However, there were no Shadows around. The doors were shut, but upon closer inspection, they were sliding doors.

The man stood in front of her, still holding Alastair. Soon, Nathan, Serena, Blaine and Zao followed, and the man breathed a sigh of relief.

"I was concerned you wouldn't come. Then I'd only be able to save Alastair Clark, and Ms Summers, Mr Miyazaki and Mr Eden would be in a real bind." the man said. "It wouldn't be the Holy Cross with just one of them, would it? Come with me. We'll be able to resuscitate them soon enough!"

"Thank god!" Zao said, arms shaking. "I hope I never have to do this again!"

"You _that_ afraid of some exercise with your buddy Blaine?" Blaine said, with an evil glint in his eyes.

"I thought I said stop teasing him?" Serena said, walking onward. The others followed the man into a darkened room, labelled the 'Decontamination Room', where the only thing Amara could make out were four black machines in a cross formation on the floor. They were large enough for a person to lie on. The man lowered Alastair's body onto the north facing on, and gestured for the others to follow his example. Soon, Bianca was facing south - the nearest to the entrance, and thus the closest one to Zao - Richard was facing east, and Kazuya was facing west.

"So...what are you gonna do with these guys?" Amara asked. "Can't you turn the light on?"

"My apologies. I've become accustomed to the dark. One moment..." with the flick of a switch, the lights came on. The room was similar to the previous hallway, except for bizzare vent like structures in the ceiling and several computer terminals in the south end. The whole place had a sleek, refined look, almost like a modern day smartphone. Amara looked at the man, and gasped. His hat had been casually tossed to the floor, and so were the pair of sunglasses. With those items no longer obscuring his face, her suspicions were confirmed. Standing right in front of her was a man she never expected to see in this world alive. Her father, Rudo Furaha.

"Dad!" Amara shouted. "It's really you! I can't believe it!"

"That's right, Amara. It's good to finally see you again." Rudo said, smiling. His hair was the same jet black shade as his daughters, even if there were some strands of gray throughout. His eyes were bleary, and he was rather thin - the Rudo Amara knew had something of a pot belly, due to his appetite. "Even if you're not the Amara from this world, I'm glad you're safe. I suppose I should expect no less from someone as determined as my daughter!"

"Wait, you're aware of the other dimension?" Nathan asked, now flabbergasted. "Just how much information do you know?"

"Can't you wait a bit, Nathan? You're interrupting a touching moment!" Blaine said. "Wait a minute, wasn't Amara's daddy supposed to be dead in this world?"

"Indeed he was! And if it weren't for my quick thinking, he would be! Alas, Rudo Furaha is here living and breathing to this day!"

_Huh? That sounded like..._

Standing in the doorway was a short, older man of about sixty years. He was balding, yet still had white remnants of what was likely a handsome head of hair. He was clutching a very aged wooden walking stick, and was wearing a long, thick green coat, which was rather faded and beat up as well. His grey eyes flickered wildly, as he gazed piercingly at all the people in the room. Zao gasped, but everyone else was confused.

"It's that old guy! Tomas Weiken!" Zao said. Tomas laughed, and something about his laughter sent shivers down Amara's spine. _Why is he here? _

"Old guy? Believe me, young lad, I'm capable of much more than people at my age. If only walking without this stick was one of them." Tomas said. He had a hint of a German accent, despite having moved from Munich at least fifty years ago. "Ah, so there you are, Amara. We've heard a lot about you. Fabulous and whimsical tales of your battles have been told. I hope we can count on you to fight Aeternus."

"Thank you, but what's going on, Mr Weiken?" Amara asked. "Like Blaine said, my father was killed five years ago!"

"Ah, that. Well, before I get to that, let me explain my situation. When those bloody Shadows attacked, me and your father were totally cut off from the rest of the world. We had no means to run the oil company whatsoever, and thus no way of making a living. Don't get us wrong, however. We had the sense to know surviving the monsters was more important than lining our pockets." Tomas said.

"Eventually, Tomas and I were contacted by Nihane Kronos himself. I'm not sure why I trusted him, but I agreed to whatever he said. We would resume control of the oil company, so that Aeternus had access to cash reserves outside of the city. Thus, they could use that money to supply the city with the food, water and any other supplies they needed. Anything that went awry would be my responsibility, not his. After all, he was the one with the power to make the Shadows disappear, unlike me." Rudo said, bitterly. "That impudent young man...how he became so powerful is beyond me."

"As for me, I actually had quite a bit of scientific knowledge from when I was much younger. Archibald Ebert himself saw my amazing skills, and offered me a secondary position as a researcher for Aeternus. Of course, even to this day they still think I don't know the truth behind the Shadows!" Tomas said, chuckling. "Only a desperate fool would believe they were to be trusted!"

"Nihane wanted me to allow Amara to join the Ornatu Legion. I asked him, over and over again, why her? Why did she have to risk her life in battle against those despicable creatures?" Rudo said, clenching his fists. "All he told me was that she had stronger power than most others. At the time, I didn't realise what that meant. So when the time came for her to join the Legion, I had no choice but to let her go. It was soon after she left that Tomas came back with some news."

"News?" Serena asked. "You mean, what Nihane and the others were really up to?"

"Precisely! I stumbled upon some secret files on Archibald's computer - fortunately, he never found out. And he calls himself an unfailing genius, too! That old hag Josephine would have a field day if she knew his secure information was leaked!" Tomas said, waving his free hand in a dramatic manner. "I also learned that Aeternus were actually creating the Shadows. Can you imagine how I felt that day? I was trusting those lying slime balls with the salvation of the entire city, and they were only bringing damnation! Out of the many things in this world I hate, being lied to is one of the worst!"

"It gets worse, too. It turns out natural Persona users were being targeted, since they had a stronger chance of affecting phenomena called the Divine Sparks. And thus, Amara was eventually to be sacrificed for the sake of something called the Eternal Road!" Rudo was angry, as he stepped on his sunglasses with his shoe. The pieces scattered across the room, and Serena stepped back in shock.

"Also, they planned to force Amara to stay in the Legion by holding her father hostage. Or rather, claiming to do so. In reality, they intended to murder him in cold blood, and Amara would never learn that the father she was yearning to save was dead all along. Looks like the opposite happened, right?" Tomas said, with a wicked smile. Unlike Rudo, he didn't seem angry at all. Rather, he had a eerie jovial tone as he spoke. "I didn't have much time before the assassin came. I took Rudo with me, and we escaped here - the secret outside lab on the Aeternus Headquarters!"

"However, Amara's natural Persona appeared, and she refused to aid Nihane's cause. So from that day, she disappeared, and we lost hope of finding her...until we learned what happened at Farawell Cathedral last June." Rudo said. He stared into Amara's eyes, and she felt sorrow from the melancholic look of her father's face. "My daughter had been sacrificed after all."

"Is that why you were at the crater? To pay your respects?" Nathan asked.

"That's part of it. I still had hope that she could be alive. These machines you see before you are designed to cure Ornatu Legion members who get affected by excessive Shadow energy. After all, they're not like you. Their Personas are merely Shadows given a new name and shape that obey commands. Tomas claimed that my daughter, and anyone else who succumbed to the Divine Spark, could be lurking within Inanis." Rudo said, staring deep into Amara's eyes. "Alas, we couldn't go! Inanis is too dangerous to venture into - not only are the Shadows far too powerful for us, Nihane Kronos keeps constant watch over that accursed place! That man is obsessed with causing as much misery as possible…and we could do nothing to stop him!"

"It was lucky that you were at the crater! And even better, the Holy Cross survived, too!" Tomas said. "Don't you see, Rudo? This means your daughter could still be out there! Not only that, the Commander of the Ornatu Legion!" Blaine's eyes widened - he hadn't forgotten how his other self had opposed them. "Plus, this young lady and the Albion heir!"

"...Yes. There's a chance my daughter is alive, in both worlds. Amara, what was your other self like?" Rudo asked, pleadingly.

"Um…she was on her own. She wanted nothing but to kill the man she thought killed her father. She didn't want company, and when I tried to help her, she just refused. I think she started to like us, though." Amara said. In reality, she hadn't tried to think about it, but it hurt knowing her other self could be dead. Now that it was possible she was alive, her memories of her came rushing back. If only her other self had been as lucky as she was.

"Hey, old guy, did you ever talk to the Commander?" Blaine said.

"Ah, it's no surprise you'd ask about him. Yes, I did. He wasn't particularly sociable, but that was until he discovered I wasn't quite on the same wavelength as Nihane and the others. In fact, the opposite. He was the only one who knew I was working in the outside lab to thwart my bosses. I was convinced he would have me killed for treason, but he actually told me he wanted to do the same. He was the one who told me about the other dimension, and I didn't believe him at first - but when he's angry, he's very convincing. Terrible temper at times, that man. I made him promise that if he ever found Amara, he'd bring her here." Tomas said, looking to the ground.

"Don't worry, Mr Weiken! We'll find the Amara of this world! You can count on me!" Zao said, wrapping his arms tightly around Amara. "We'll even go through the whole of Inanis if we have to!"

"Zao, you're hurting me..." Amara wheezed. Zao quickly stopped, and blushed. Blaine laughed, and even Nathan chuckled a little. Serena sighed, crossing her arms.

"I think that covers most of our past." Rudo said.

"Wait - the other me said she found you dead, shot!" Amara said. "What happened there?"

"Honestly? I don't know..." Tomas said, shrugging. "Perhaps she was hysterical, or it was one of Nihane's mind tricks. He is a duplicitous loon, after all." Amara nodded, but something didn't feel right. But what did it matter? Her father was alive and well, and with any luck, so was her other self. She had to find her, and quickly.

"If there aren't any other questions, we'll begin awakening the Holy Cross!" Tomas said. "The machines here based on similar technology to those used to give Personas to new members of the Ornatu Legion. What's happened to these four is likely a build up of Shadow energy, which these machines would normally remove in small quantities. Yet, these people have natural Personas, and they are actively fighting off the Shadow energy that came from the Divine Spark. It prevents them from suffering lasting damage to both body and psyche, but at the same time they cannot wake up. It's like being in a coma."

"How did they show up after all this time?" Serena asked. "They couldn't just pop up from Inanis, could they?"

"That's something we'll have to consider, but for now, we'll have to ask you all to leave the room. It's dangerous for those who aren't familiar with it's use. You can look around, but do not leave without my permission. Here, even leaving the headquarters requires permission, and using the NDD will send a red alert to the security control." Rudo said. "Amara, we'll talk later."

"Okay! We'll wait outside!" Amara said. She and the others left, and the sliding door shut behind them.

_Outside Decontamination Room_

"Well, this is exciting, isn't it?" Nathan said. "We really do have a double agent aiding us now! Perhaps he can help us stop the Divine Sparks!"

"I guess. But didn't something seem odd about that Wanker dude?" Blaine asked.

"Blaine! It's Weiken!" Amara snapped. "In our world, he's a sweet man who always looked out for me and my father. Don't talk about him like that!"

"But Amara, you saw the way he talked. Didn't something seem off?" Serena said.

"…He's just been under a lot of pressure. They had to stay here for all this time! They couldn't go out, could they? They don't have Personas like us!" Amara said.

"Alright, cool it. The good thing is, the Holy Cross are going to be hunky dory now!" Zao said. "Then we'll have new Persona users to boss around!"

"That's right. They won't be taking orders from Aeternus anymore." Nathan said. "Perhaps now, they can use their powers for a more noble goal."

"I just hope they know what they're doing in there..." Amara said.

_Decontamination Room_

"You weren't going to tell them the truth?" Rudo said, pushing keys on his computer terminal.

"Of course not, Rudo. If they knew I switched you with that body double, and left him to die, they'd never forgive me. They're too idealistic to understand...that life is all about sacrifices. I just changed the one that would be offered!" Tomas said, cackling to himself. "So, you left the lab on your own. Does that mean you finally equipped **Nebiros**?"

"Yes." Rudo said, wearily. "I feel fine, thanks to your advice. But whenever I had to fight a Shadow, I didn't feel like myself at all."

"Of course you didn't! Nebiros was formed from the Shadows around here, just like my **Belial**. You should be more welcoming of their power, my friend! You simply have to forge a bond with the Persona, and soon it will become your own!" Tomas said. "What's the matter? Don't you trust my genius?"

"...I do. I wouldn't have stayed here all this time if I didn't." Rudo said. "Please, just let me keep it hidden from my daughter for now. You know how dangerous it is to have a fake Persona, from all the Ornatu Legion soldiers that have succumbed. If she found out, she'd-"

"Relax! Give me time, and I'll be able to prevent any of those nasty side effects you're worried about. Even the rumoured shortened lifespan!" Tomas said, sniggering. "Honestly, you're starting to become a hypochondriac. In this age, we have to take any steps necessary to survive. I'm not about to leave all the fighting to that talented daughter of yours! Are you?"

Rudo gulped. His daughter - both incarnations of her - had been fighting hard since she obtained her Persona. Relying on her was out of the question, but would she see it that way? "Please, Tomas. Just focus on the Holy Cross for today. I'll break the news later." Rudo said. "Hurry up with the decontamination!"

"You should be celebrating, you know. Your daughter's finally here, if not the exact way you intended!" Tomas said, shaking his head. "Beggars can't be choosers. Once we're done with it all, it will all have been worthwhile, every last sacrifice we've made!"

Rudo didn't respond, and instead waited for Tomas to activate the controls. The silence was deafening. Both men stared at each other, and time itself seemed to freeze. Finally, Tomas pushed his terminal's buttons, and the four machines began roaring with life. Michael appeared above Alastair, albeit with inverted colours. A dark energy came flowing out of his body, slowly restoring Michael to normal colouration, and the expelled substance, a black gas, was sucked into a vent-like opening on the ceiling. One by one, each of the Holy Cross's Personas were restored to normal. Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel joined Michael, and with a bright flash, they returned to their users.

"Well, looks like we succeeded! Now, we can recover from anything!" Tomas said, cackling again. "Rudo, it's time for me to make full use of this opportunity. Are you going to join me, now that you have Nebiros?"

"I'm sorry? Join you for what?" Rudo asked, startled.

"Must you question every action I take? Trust me, old friend. Doing this won't hurt one bit. We can undo any damage later!" Tomas said. Then, he busted into laughter, as a red aura surrounded him. As the devilish entity came out of his body, Rudo yelped. Tomas continued laughing, and beckoned. Rudo knew he had no choice…he summoned the red aura too, and his own demonic power came out. The room was covered with a hellish red haze, as the voices of Shadows resonated.

_Outside Decontamination Room_

"This is boring! Hey, I know! What number am I thinking of?" Zao said.

"Oh great, I have to wait ages outside here and now I have to play kid's games with Zao?" Blaine groaned.

"Don't be a grumpy guts! I was only trying to think of stuff to pass the time! Serena remembered her 3DS, Amara's busy doodling, and Nathan's being boring as usual!" Zao said. "Seriously, we're in another dimension and he's checking his work schedule!"

"Well excuse me, Zao, but I'm always exhausted after a night here! I need to make sure I don't have anything too strenuous tomorrow morning!" Nathan said, turning back to his phone. "I just wish I could get internet here and check my email."

"If you're that bored, Zao, we could do what they did in the olden days. You know, chatting. You and Amara getting on alright?" Blaine asked.

"Oh, definitely! Amara is the cutest girl I've ever met!" Zao said, and he excitedly rambled all about how amazing he thought Amara was. Amara herself heard him talking, and smiled. He was exaggerating, as she didn't think she quite had 'goddess like beauty', but it was nice to see him so happy about their relationship.

"Okay, settle down, boy! You sound like a boy who just got a pet dog!" Blaine said, laughing.

"What about you and that Lucy chick?" Zao asked. "You two seem to be getting closer and closer!"

"Yeah, I guess we are. She always complains I'm not doing much with my life, but she wouldn't be saying that if she knew what I was really up to!" Blaine said, cracking his knuckles. "Still, maybe it's time I thought about another job...that waiter stuff is getting old fast."

Amara looked around, and noticed another door open.

"Huh? That's..."

It was Seraphina. She turned around, and stared at Amara, unfazed. She must have been expecting them.

"Lady Amara! Everyone else! I anticipated your arrival, but I was caught up in other business!" Seraphina said.

"What are you doing here?" Serena asked. "You need one of those badges to get in the headquarters!"

"Hecate told me there was a man I had to find. An older gentleman, who was desperate to achieve results in his scheming." Seraphina said. "I'm sure you know who I'm referring to, correct?"

"Tomas Weiken..." Amara said. "He's not that bad, honestly. Living like this for so long would get to anyone."

"I do suppose you are right, yet his mannerisms fill me with unease. I found Weiken in Nova Albion. He wanted to research the Divine Spark crater, but after I told him everything about myself, he agreed to let me come with him. I've been waiting for an opportunity to venture here for an incredibly long time." Seraphina said, staring at the door she came through.

"Why? They have better lunches than at your base?" Zao asked.

"No, you silly clown. There were just things I had to do here, but I never had the chance to get inside - until today." Seraphina said.

"Why are you so secretive, anyway? We all know you're some psychic called Stella Cleon in our world!" Blaine said. "Although even then we still hardly know anything about ya."

"I admit, details on my past are deliberately scarce. That is all down to my preferences. I would rather not divulge what happened prior to Hecate's grand awakening." Seraphina said, clearly annoyed. "Please, stay out of my personal affairs!"

"Okay, your highness." Blaine teased. "How long is this thing gonna take?"

"We're finished." Tomas said. Something about him looked different. His eyes looked more wild than ever, and his already pale complexion was whiter than before. "It was a draining process on us both, but we did it! Come in!"

The group returned to the Decontamination Room. Amara thought she felt Shadows, but put it down to being in the headquarters.

_Decontamination Room_

Alastair, Bianca, Kazuya and Richard were asleep, but their bodies were normal. Amara felt a bit weird when she came in, but that feeling quickly passed. Rudo was looking over Bianca's body, and seemed satisfied the process worked.

"Isn't this spectacular? The Holy Cross are alive and well! We'll keep them here for a medical exam, to make sure they haven't picked up any nasty injuries. Wouldn't want them to be out of action for a while, would we?" Tomas said, glancing at the equipment in the room.

"Seems like it was Nihane's hypnosis spell that truly inhibited the power of their Personas, though. At least, that's what Seraphina told Tomas." Rudo said. "The power of Janus is much greater than I imagined…"

"What happens if one of us falls under that same spell?" Nathan asked. "Would this machine work on us?"

"Yes, but your wills are stronger than the Ater Vox. Their wills were weak because they believed Aeternus were their rightful employers, that could do no wrong. Even in face of the truth, with many people out for the Ater Vox's blood, they simply lacked the drive to rebel against their employers. Perhaps once they have recovered completely, they will have the ambition to fight with us." Rudo said. "However, it wouldn't be out of character for Nihane to demean his opponents so they lose their focus in battle, thus dropping their defences."

"Okay, I think I sort of got it. How come Nihane never used that power again, anyway?" Blaine said.

"When you fought him at Takanawa University, you must have been so determined to stop the Divine Spark that any attempt to control your minds would have been useless. However, you saw how much he overpowered you, even without twisting your minds. Nihane is far too dangerous to fight - not even the rest of his 'friends' can beat him." Tomas said.

"Yeah..." Amara said. She considering bringing up her multiple visions of Nihane's past, but didn't Right now, they had more important matters to worry about. After all, Aeternus were likely working on the next Divine Spark right that minute, and there was no telling when it would be. Suddenly, Seraphina looked alert, and held her head with both hands.

"Seraphina, what's wrong?" Serena asked.

"Sun...Darkness...Place of Worship...Ruins..."

"Uh oh." Blaine said. "Another vision. That means something fucked up's going on."

"Lady Amara, and the other warriors! Forgive me for that episode. There's a strong sensation pulsating somewhere in Farawell!" Seraphina said. "It's nearby where the Cathedral once stood!"

"Looks like you lot are kept busy, aren't you?" Rudo said. "Take care, Amara! If it's a Shadow, it'll be dangerous. Everyone, look after my daughter!"

"At your service, your majesty!" Blaine said, chuckling. "Back to that weird crater thing, then?"

"Yup. I wonder what the mysterious foreboding sensation is." Serena said. "Dammit, I hate backtracking! Stupid Cathedral!"

_Farawell_

"Here we are again. Fun fun fun! Anyone in the crater?" Serena asked.

"Not as far as I can tell. It looks just the same as it did when we left." Nathan said, sighing. "This looks like it'll be a waste of time. Seraphina, you said someone was here, right?"

"Hecate speaks only inner wisdom to me. However, I remain unable to locate the person she informed me of. Alas, we must be patient, and-"

"Die, you monster!"

_Huh? What the heck - that's MY voice!_

"Either Amara's changed careers and become a ventriloquist, or it's the other one!" Blaine said. "Let's go!"

"Okay! I'll save the other Amara!" Zao said, running ahead. Seraphina and the others followed, and soon enough, they saw what the 'monster' was.

A knight wearing dark green armour, with several blood stains and a ragged dark cape, was standing over the other Amara. It had the 'Emperor' mask on it's helmet, and it had many white horns on it's body as well. It raised it's sword aloft, and it managed to cast a Diarama spell on itself. Amara would have been surprised by this Shadow in regular circumstances, but it was the sight of her other self lying on the ground that shocked her the most. She never would have imagined seeing her again...

"You guys?!" Other Amara said, standing up and turning around. "What's going on? Last thing I remember was the cathedral falling to pieces!"

"We'll tell you later! We have to get rid of this bastard first!" Amara said, raising her weapon. "Do any of your moves work on him?"

"Fire's worthless against it, and physical moves barely even scratch him!" Other Amara said, annoyed. "Even if I hit it a ton of times, it'll just heal itself!"

Right then, Zao laughed. _What's so funny? Is it because we're kind of the same way when we get hurt? _He stepped forward, and held up his fist.

"Rashnu! Come!"

Rashnu appeared, and held out his hands.

"You know what to do! Life Lock!" Zao called out. The spell Rashnu used appeared to have a strange effect on the Shadow - enough to anger it, as it powerfully jabbed Zao with it's halberd. "Ow!"

"Zao! What did that move do?" Amara asked.

"Simple, I locked it's life! It'll stop the Shadow from healing itself!" Nathan said, shaking his head. "Anyway, let's take it down!"

Blaine struck the Shadow, the Tempestuous Warlord, with a powerful Zionga attack. This caused it a great deal of pain, and while it was down, Nathan struck it with a Garula attack. Serena followed up with Aques, and everyone waited for Zao to make his next move.

"Oh...okay! Rashnu, cut him up!" Zao yelled. Alas, Rashnu's sword couldn't even scratch the Shadow's armour. It stood up, and swung it's halberd around rapidly, hitting everyone with vicious swings. Amara grimaced, but then she thought of something.

"Rakukaja!"

Zao was now protected from damage, and he smiled. Dodging another thrust, he cast Bufu - yet it was rather weak, and barely passed as a chill for the Warlord. The Other Amara looked curious, and stared at the others.

"Marakukaja!"

Now, everyone had the same protection Zao did. Amara felt a twinge of jealousy, but let it go. It wasn't as if she would be much use during this battle. The Shadow, despite being a terrifying warrior, was rather predictable. All it did was attack with it's halberd, either short jabs, or swings that hurt everybody. Serena's Mediarama spells were able to cover the damage, as ever, and like the others, she used her elemental magic to good effect. Without the ability to heal, the Warlord was lost, and fighting a losing battle.

"This guy's a joke! A few more hits, and he's dead! Zio!" Blaine cried.

"Magna!" Zao shouted.

"Aques!" Serena yelled.

"Garula!" Nathan called out.

The final barrage of attacks finally made the Shadow fall to the ground, every piece of it's armour shattering like glass. As it faded away, the other Amara looked at the team, smiling.

"You guys have gotten strong since last time. How long ago was that, anyway?" she asked.

"Over a month ago. We're actually in August now!" Serena said. "What happened with you?"

"I remember the cathedral breaking apart, and lots of white light. Then I remember seeing the cathedral again, but it was weird. There were tons of people in robes around, then lots of screaming, then eventually I wound up in the middle of that crater." Other Amara said. "I didn't think that much time had passed. What's happened since then?"

"We'll tell you the full details later, but two more of the Divine Sparks have occurred in Takanawa and Nova Albion. They didn't claim any lives themselves, but the events around them caused a lot of grief. More importantly, we've gained some new allies, such as Zao Yuria here." Nathan said.

"Hey, can't I introduce myself to my girlfriend's alter ego?" Zao whined. "Hi, I'm Zao!"

"_Your _girlfriend? I'm going out with this wimp?" Other Amara said. Zao laughed, and shrugged it off. "I suppose he's got nice hair. Plus he is sort of cute when he's smiling!"

"Thanks!" Zao said, running a hand through his vibrant ocean blue hair.

"So is your other self around too?" Other Amara asked.

"Um...I dunno." Zao said, nervously. "We might find him someday!"

"But the best thing of all is, we found the Holy Cross! Not long ago, in that crater!" Amara said. "And a double agent from Aeternus is helping us. With his help, we got the Holy Cross to wake up! And he says he has an idea about the Divine Sparks!"

"Double agent?" Other Amara said. "Who is it?"

"Oh, that's a surprise. For now, just follow us. Trust me, it'll blow your mind!" Blaine said, smiling. "Come on!"

"Fine. I suppose right now, sticking with you guys is the best idea. The Holy Cross, huh? I hope they don't go back to Aeternus. They're so annoying when they're complaining all the time." Other Amara said.

_Aeternus Supplementary Research Unit, Library Room_

"Ah, you've returned. How did it go - Amara?!" Rudo gasped, and started intently at what he saw right in front of him. His daughter - she had a scar above her right eye, but it was the one he had been longing to see for years. His eyes were welling up - and Amara smiled. Everything had gone beautifully - father and daughter were reunited, after years of being separated. Now, there was nothing to get between them.

"Dad! Tomas!" the other Amara cried. Pushing aside Zao, who narrowly missed a wall, she ran straight into her father's arms. "You're not dead? You're really here?!"

"That's right, Amara. And I'm not going anywhere." Rudo said. His arms were tightly around his daughter, and Amara thought she saw him shedding a tear. She couldn't help but shedding one herself, and she had a feeling her other self was just as emotional.

"Dad, what happened? How did you manage to get away?" Other Amara asked. "I saw your dead body right before my eyes!"

"That doesn't matter. Me and Tomas did what we needed to do to get away, and here we are." Rudo said, looking at Tomas out of the corner of his eye. Tomas smiled, and it was the first time Amara felt genuine warmth from him. "You've done well to survive, Amara. I'm proud of you - both you and the other you."

"Dad..." Other Amara said. She smiled slightly, and breathed a sigh of relief. The others also smiled, even Zao as he got off the floor, grumbling about his scuffed knees. "I missed you so much, dad! You don't know how many nights I spent crying, hoping I'd wake up...and everything would be the way it should be! I'd be at home, and you'd call me down for breakfast, and ask me what I spent all night drawing, then I'd show you!"

"It's not quite the old days, Amara. We're still in tough times. At least I get to see your face again. You're starting to look just like your mother, you know. Now that we're together again, she won't have to worry about you!"

"Daddy, I'm going to do what I planned to do with my Persona all along. Protect you! Oh, and helping the other guys is part of that too." Other Amara said. "Tomas, you saved my father. I can never repay you or thank you enough!"

"Oh, there's no need to be so thankful. You can wait until our plans come to fruition!" Tomas said, shaking Other Amara's hand. "After years of inertia, everything is finally starting to pick up! Look at all the fine Persona users on our side! Yes, even those from an alternate timeline have done the impossible and come here to aid us in our struggle!" Tomas was absolutely delighted, waving his arms in a dramatic fashion. He almost lost his balance, but managed to stay upright. This was enough to cause Zao to giggle, and one dirty look from Nathan stopped him. "However, we need guidance for our ever rising power. In particular, reversing the Divine Sparks!"

"And how do you propose we do that?" Nathan asked.

"The theory is actually simple. The Divine Sparks are brought on by intense feelings of despair from individuals, and those feelings awaken similar emotions from Inanis. That is why ancient buildings appear there in the Divine Spark locations. Therefore, we counter those negative feelings with the highest amount of positive feelings we can, and sever the ties between Inanis and New Motus City." Tomas said.

"However, allowing the positive emotions to flow will be tricky. It will require intense mastery of the Persona ability, and it must be done in unison. Also, you're aware that Shadows are drawn to Persona users due to their opposing natures." Rudo said. "While both are born from humanity, they are constantly at war with each other."

"Yeah, and it's a war we're gonna win. We can kill any Shadow that comes our way!" Blaine said. "So if we do this plan, tons of Shadows are going to try to fuck us up?"

"You put it better than I could have, lad!" Tomas said. "That's right. However, I fear that no matter how many you defeat, there will be too many, and your focus will be diluted. Even more concerning is the fact that doing this simultaneously is impossible - and if we take too long travelling between the Divine Sparks, we run the risk of Nihane finding us. His power remains the strongest."

"In other words, your plan's not gonna work?" Zao said. "That's a major bummer!"

"Don't be so hasty to throw in the towel, lad. There is no conundrum that cannot be resolved." Tomas said, with an wicked grin. Amara felt a shiver down her spine as he said this. In fact, something had felt different about Tomas ever since she first saw him in this world, but it only until now that she realised it was something disturbing. "Allow me time to conduct more tests. I believe we can reach the answers we need sooner, rather than later. Trust me, I have a few ideas on how this will work out..."

"Well, I guess we'll leave it to you for now. You've given us a lot to think about!" Serena said. "The Eternal Road will soon be gone! Then this world can go back to normal!"

"Father, can I stay here?" Other Amara asked.

"No." Rudo said, sternly. "There is always the danger that Aeternus employees other than Tomas will discover the truth and come for us. You need to stay as far away as possible!"

"But dad, I don't want to leave you here on your own!" the other Amara said, hysterical. "I was convinced you were dead for so long! There's no way I'm leaving without you!"

"I need to stay here to help Tomas with the future experiments. You need to concentrate on eliminating Shadows and preventing any future schemes the Ater Vox may conduct." Rudo said. "Please don't cry, Amara…you'll be back here soon enough. Once we've vanquished the Divine Sparks and saved the city, you and I can live normally again!"

"Listen to your father, Lady Amara. He will not be prone to foolish mistakes. Learn some patience." Seraphina said.

"Why are you lecturing me, you weirdo?" Other Amara said. "Fine, I'll wait. Don't get in trouble, okay? If anyone tries to hurt you, I'll be there to burn them to ashes!"

"Wow, she's so different from you!" Zao said, looking at Amara. "But anyway, we're going to be able to stop the Divine Sparks after all! It's going to be great! We'll have to have a big party to celebrate, too! It'll be even better than Nathan's barbecue!"

"You'll have your work cut out for you, then!" Nathan said, with a slight smile. "I think we should come back in a few days, to give Tomas time to sort out his ideas. That's okay with everyone else, yes?"

"Fine with me. I'm going to the movies with Lucy tomorrow, anyway." Blaine said, also happy. "If we're lucky, she'll let me come back to her place afterwards."

"What's so lucky about that - oh." Nathan said, sighing again. "No details, please. As for me, I'll be helping Adrian plan his wedding. I'll also need a new outfit - it's been a while since I've attended a wedding, and I want to look sharp." Nathan said, excited. "Perhaps something blue?"

"You always buy a new outfit for every event you go to? Nice to see you're keeping the dressmaking industry afloat!" Blaine said, mockingly. Nathan rolled his eyes, and turned to Amara.

"What about you girls? Do you have plans for tomorrow?" Nathan said.

"I dunno, really. Apart from work, I could maybe draw a few things..." Amara said. "Actually, I've got a better idea! Serena, let's do something cool! There's an art show on modern sculptures at the Marianne Museum at 6 o'clock, free to attend! You want to come?"

"Well...go on, then!" Serena said, smiling. "It's not going to be tons of nude statues, is it?"

"I don't know, the brochure didn't say who the guest artists are." Amara said. "Oh! Zao, I forgot to ask if you -"

"Don't worry! I couldn't come anyway. My grandfather's having a dinner party, and he wants me there. I couldn't pass up a chance to have the best trout in town!" Zao cheered. "Anyway, let's go home! Soon, all our troubles will be over!"

"Seraphina, are you going to tell the others what's going on?" Amara asked.

"Absolutely. I fear I may have to wait until later to tell Matthew and Daniel, however. Both are currently very intoxicated, and the latter's influence on the former is...strong." Seraphina said, amused. "Even from here, I can sense the amount of alcohol those two have had."

"The Kingsley clan really know how to party!" Blaine said, punching the air. "If I wasn't so tired, I'd join them. Early start tomorrow…damn."

"Oh yeah, can I go back with you?" Other Amara asked, looking at Seraphina. "I don't have anywhere else to go, and I could a place with a bed. Or a comfy sofa."

"Oh, I'm sure we can arrange something. You don't want the sofa tonight, though. Dan will soon be passed out, and thus filling the room with the air of alcohol." Seraphina said, amused. "Come with me."

And so, the team left the lab, to wait until Tomas had figured out a flawless way to undo the Divine Sparks. If he was successful, it would surely lead to the downfall of Aeternus and the Ater Vox as well. Could this really be happening?

Amara returned home, with no choice but to wait and see what would unfold.

_Aeternus Headquarters, Archibald's Office_

Archibald had returned to his office for the evening. Even after becoming a member of an organisation plotting to distort the fabric of reality, he still couldn't get out of the habit of leaving his desk untidy. Important items were often left scattered amongst sheets of paper, and plenty of discs and USB drives were between them. Drinking his coffee, he browsed an old folder on his computer. At the moment, he was having a bout of nostalgia. He was fascinated with reminiscing olden times, ever since the early 90's. Something important had happened then, but he could not recall it anymore. Perhaps he merely forgot to bring an old file to work, and had taught himself to remember the value of the past.

He glanced at one file, which titled 'Furaha Project'. This report detailed the scheme to use Amara Furaha as a sacrifice to bring the next Divine Spark, which hadn't entirely worked out. The two remaining Divine Sparks had yet to materialise, and it could be years before they came forth. Archibald sighed, and reached to switch off his machine. Just before he did, he noticed an oddity. The file had been accessed at 6:40 am, yet Archibald knew for sure he hadn't opened it since 2 am earlier that day. No one could have gotten access to his files except...

"Ah ha! Good old Tomas Weiken." Archibald muttered. "Why did that oafish fool look through my personal files? If he saw it..."

Suddenly, everything came together. There had to be a reason why Tomas kept entering the outside lab, despite no experiments being designated there. He seemed obsessed with going there, and had been getting into arguments with the other scientists ever since.

"So, you're up to something secret, are you?" Archibald smiled evilly, finishing his coffee. "Then go ahead, see how long you last. If you seem like you're going to be a threat, though, I'll squash you faster than the speed of light!"

Archibald sniggered, as he retired to his bedroom. Whatever Tomas had planned, he had no doubts it would fail.

* * *

**Notes: **Thomas Weiken's name has been changed to Tomas Weiken. A minor edit, and one that will be made throughout the earlier chapters. This is merely to make his name feel more German, and to suit my preferences. Yes, he will be a major character this arc, as will Rudo. Also, Zao's Seal Heal technique is now 'Life Lock'. I don't recall if I actually mentioned it by name, though, but it was a while back.


	49. Chapter 49: Art and War

**AN: **For this chapter, I'm doing something different. We'll have a scene in the Normal World with Serena and Amara, but the rest will take place in the Other World - and for once we'll get battles without the Normal World crew! Enjoy, and please review. Also, thanks to all the followers and most of all, MoldyJellyBean. Also, DAMN this chapter is long.

**Chapter 49: Art and War**

_Normal World, Marianne Museum_

Marianne Museum was yet another tourist attraction of the city, but plenty of natives came here as well. With many popular art exhibits, the paintings and sculptures behind it's beige brick walls were priceless in value due to their history. One fact often repeated in gossip was that no one had ever successfully robbed the museum - and the last failed robbery ended very badly for the criminal, due to an incident with a nearby man's groceries.

Amara was one of the first to arrive at the museum, and for good reason. She wanted to get the best seat of the opening show, so the view would be as good as possible. Some of the modern sculptures were rumoured to be worth hundreds of thousands, due to their famous sculptors and the quality of their designs. Yet, all Amara wanted to see was their symbolism, and what they represented.

"Serena! There you are!"

Serena had finally turned up, wearing a red dress combined with a white bolero, as well as her usual necklace. It made a change from her usual school clothes, but Amara had a feeling Serena's parents wouldn't have approved. _Whatever, now we can get those seats!_

"Sorry I took a while!" Serena said. "I had to pick out my best outfit. I wanted to look good, since I've never been to an art show before. We're not going to see anything...freaky, are we?"

"I hope so! The freakier, the better! It makes it more artistic!" Amara said, eagerly. Serena grimaced, and the two young ladies sat down in the front row. Finally, the curtains unveiled, and the display behind them was truly extraordinary. It was a newborn baby, umbilical cord still attached.

"Whoa." Serena said, out loud. Everyone else gasped, also stunned by this sight.

"Greetings, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the 34th New Motus annual Modern Art Exhibition! Or as we prefer to call it, 'Think Different'!" the woman presenting the show said.

"That's one way to put it..." Serena said.

"Some of you may have seen this before. Designed by Jacques 'Wavemaker' Gautier, it was made to commemorate the birth of his first son. He wanted to capture every single detail of the baby, no matter how gruesome it may be, to remember forever!" the woman said, to thunderous applause.

"Wait, first they're shocked, now they're clapping?" Serena asked.

"Shut up and join in." Amara said, clapping. Serena reluctantly did as she was told, and the two of them listened to the woman on stage introduce and interview many professional artists. One of them, named Malik, had done a hugely successful series on Egyptian artefacts, and proudly displayed an ankh necklace in front of the audience.

"Hey, it's like yours!" Serena said, grinning. "Excuse me, Mister Malik?"

"Yes, madam?" Malik said. He was annoyed for being interrupted, but when he glanced at Amara's own ankh, he smiled. "Ah! Stand up, young lady!"

"Serena! ...Fine!" Amara stood up, and the audience whistled at her ankh.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this ankh necklace I have dates back to ancient times. I do not know exactly how old it is, but it has been in at least twelve generations of my family, likely many more. The ankh itself is a symbol of eternal rebirth, and was incredibly iconic of ancient Egypt - and today, it still is. Tell me your name, beauty!" _First Karl, then Zao, and now this guy? Crap..._

"Amara Furaha, sir."

"What a lovely name. It's not quite a typical Egyptian name, of course, but it suits you. Tell me, how long have you had this necklace?" Malik asked.

"Since the death of my mother. She likely got it from her own mother, and so on. I've no idea how old it is." Amara said. _Oh, crap. I forgot to give the other me her necklace back! Well, I'll definitely remember next time. She'll be pissed off, though._

"That's wonderful, another family heirloom lives on through the ages. That ankh is a link to your heritage, Amara. As mine is a link to my own. Everyone else probably has something similar, whether it's a necklace spanning hundreds of years or an old TV Guide issue." Malik said. _Huh?_

Eventually, the show came to an end, and just as Amara and Serena were about to look around, Malik came over to them.

"Did you want to ask something else?" Amara said.

"I did. I've heard about you before, actually. I used to be involved with an online journal for young artists, and one of the pieces was from you. Of course, this must have been about 2003." Malik said.

"That's Amara for ya!" Serena said, grinning. "She's art crazy! She practically lives here!"

"No I don't!" Amara said, sighing. "What was submitted to that journal, again? My dad was the one who sent it in, not me."

"You don't remember at all? It was a painting, comparing ancient Egypt to modern day Egypt. At first glance, they look nothing alike, but there were so many tiny details that pointed out the similarities. How about you paint that picture again?" Malik said.

"Do it! I'd love to see it, too!" Serena said, excited.

"Um...okay, I will! Where should I put it for you to see?" Amara asked.

"Good question. Don't worry, just look for my blog and drop me a message. I'd love to see how much you've grown since then." Malik said. "What about your friend? What do you do?"

"Me? Well, I really love fantasy novels, and someday I want to write one of my own." Serena said, smiling with her hands behind her back. "Perhaps I can ask Amara to draw the cover page!"

"Well, name your price and we'll talk." Amara said, grinning.

"Sounds like a partnership made in heaven. It was lovely talking to you ladies, but I have to go. Enjoy the rest of the exhibition!" Malik said, wandering off.

Amara and Serena spent a good long while quietly observing each of the pieces on display. Some of them were rather conventional, such as model of the Teardrop Fountain made with specially made ice. A more bizarre one was the entire Saragel promenade, made out of bones. Finally, the most interesting one (apart from the baby) Serena and Amara found was a large model of Symphonic Street, constructed from various musical instrument pieces.

"That was a lot of fun, wasn't it?" Amara said. "I just wish I could use my camera in here."

"Me too. These things are so cool, but they weren't as freaky as I thought. Apart from that baby." Serena said. "...I guess I'll never know how that feels, will I?"

"Serena..."

"It's fine!" Serena said, with a brave face - but Amara could tell it was forced. "Actually, Amara, there's something I've wanted to say about your necklace for a while."

"What? You don't like it?"

"Don't be silly!" Serena said, clutching her own necklace. "Actually, I've seen it before. Ten years ago..."

"Ten years ago? You mean at that convention?" Amara asked.

"Yeah. Although I never got inside. I was just outside, crying, when it happened. I must have been in a coma for days, but I swear I saw what happened in the hospital bed in front of me a couple of times." Serena said. "You were there."

"Me?!" Amara said. "But when I woke up, I was the only one in that ward."

"I got out after you. I just remember the necklace you were wearing...I'm surprised they let you wear it in the hospital. When I got home - well, after lots of family talks - I went and looked up your necklace." Serena said, nervously looking at it. "Ankhs felt so amazing to me back then. They still do...and I love yours." Serena said. "Amara, your necklace got me interested in magic and fantasy. It's like my muse."

"Is it really that special to you?" Amara said. "I never thought of it that way. It's just...my way of remembering my mother."

"I know." Serena said. "When it went missing, I was scared too. Thank god Blaine got it back for you!" Serena smiled, and she leant in closer to look at the necklace. "It's still so beautiful. When I saw it again in June, I wanted to say all of this then. But you were some older girl who had no idea who I was, so it would have been really awkward, huh?"

"Serena...thank you." Amara said. "Doesn't your necklace mean anything to you?"

"This old thing? Not really. It was just a cheap souvenir from a vacation." Serena said. "Although it was a bit big for me at the time, so Nina took it instead. She left it behind, so..."

"Sounds like it does mean something to you, then." Amara said, looking deep at Serena's blue necklace. It was rather pretty, especially the gem part. "You wear it all the time, too!"

"Well...it does look pretty good on me, doesn't it?" Serena said, blushing. "My sister stopped wearing it right after she started to go weird. So I wear it to...remind myself of how she used to be." Serena looked down at the ground, a little embarrassed. It must have been horrible, fighting her own sister. What if it happened again? Would Amara be able to save Serena?

"Serena, don't worry about Nina. She's on our side, isn't she? At least, one of them is. The other one, we'll have to deal with another time." Amara said. She took Serena's hand and smiled warmly. Serena smiled too, and nodded.

"Okay. Hey, can we grab some coffee or something?" Serena asked.

"Definitely!" Amara said. "Cocoa Harbour again?"

"Where else?" Serena replied. The two of them left the museum, holding hands.

_Secret Base, Other World_

The group was surprised upon the news Seraphina delivered upon her return to the base. The Amara of their world was alive and well, having somehow recovered from the Divine Spark and without any apparent side effects. From their speculation, Amara assumed she had landed in the realm of Inanis, which was below the city. In fact, their entire city was somehow in the air, and Inanis was where the city used to be. Now, Tomas Weiken claimed he could use the power of Personas to vanquish the Divine Sparks.

That night, Amara slept like a log. She had never felt so tired, especially after so many probing questions - not even Kyle typing away on his computer woke up her up. The next day, she woke up, and yawned...and saw Seraphina staring straight into her eyes.

"Uh...what are you even-"

"Lady Amara, are you awake?" Seraphina said, hovering over the bed.

"I am now! Jeez, you're invading my personal space a tad!" Amara snapped.

"I apologise for that, but for the time being, we are sharing the same bedroom. Do not fear, the situation will not last for much longer. I hear Roger and Karen are going to great deliberations to prepare a suitable bed chamber for you." Seraphina said.

"God, why do you talk like that? You sound like you're from a Charles Dickens book!" Amara said, shaking her head. "Can't you talk a bit more normally?"

"I apologise again if it seems off putting. Alas, this method of rhetoric comes naturally to me. Someone dear to me was in the habit of it as well, and commanded an air of dignity and grace uncommon of her social standing." Seraphina said.

"Who was that, then?" Amara asked.

"I...mustn't tell you yet." Seraphina said.

"Why not? Come on, you might as well..." Other Amara said. She rose out of bed, and as she reached for the small bag she kept supplies in, she accidentally hit Seraphina's head. "Woops, I'm sorry - huh?!"

Suddenly, she saw something fall to the ground. It was the jewellery Seraphina wore on her hair. Just then, she realised she was holding something in her hand. It felt like hair, and it was turquoise. Seraphina's hair. Surely she couldn't have torn her hair off, right? Amara quickly saw Seraphina's head, and gasped. It was completely bald, and smooth as well.

"Oh my god!" Amara screamed. However, Seraphina's scream was even louder, as it echoed throughout the secret base.

"Holy crap, what was that?" Roger said.

"Oh, those girls are probably telling ghost stories or something." Dan said, sounding rather cool and collected.

"Dan, this could be serious! I'll check on them." Priscilla said. Seraphina, upon hearing the footsteps, snatched the wig out of Amara's hand and put it back on. Seeing her with her wig on again, it didn't seem real that she was bald. Amara couldn't bring herself to say a single word, as Priscilla entered the bedroom.

"H-hello, Priscilla!" Amara said. "What's shaking?"

"What do you mean, what's shaking? I heard Seraphina scream! What happened?" Priscilla asked.

"I...had a nightmare. That's all." Seraphina said, hands still on her head.

"Yes, nothing embarrassing happened at all!" Amara said, laughing nervously. Seraphina's stare was like being aimed at by a firing squad. Priscilla, however, remained unconvinced.

"I see. Well, since I'm here, I might as well tell you that Roger and Karen have Amara's bed ready at the second base. That's where anyone else we find will end up." Priscilla said. "Good news, right?"

"Yes, it's wonderful news. I prefer solitary slumber." Seraphina said, leering at Amara.

"Alright then. Well, I think the others are planning to go out for some training today. You should go ask if you can team up with anyone!" Priscilla said. "Bye!"

Priscilla left, and Seraphina quickly grabbed her jewellery and followed her. Amara couldn't believe what she just saw - which was odd, considering how many otherworldly beasts she had come across. Seraphina, the weird psychic girl, was bald as a coot. Why was she keeping it so secret? She had the feeling no one knew about her past except herself.

Later, Amara came out of the room, dressed in new red clothes. She had to admit, she liked the new style. Perhaps it was good to change from wearing purple clothes all the time. Seraphina was sitting at the table, staring into the distance.

"Now that's what I call a hard worker." Roger said, barely containing his laughter. In front of him was the computer and a sleeping Kyle, still in his chair. "Reminds me of my school days!"

"I hate it when he does that." Aimee said. "It can't be comfortable sleeping that way. He's been doing it a lot more, recently. I wonder why?"

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" Karen said, shaking Kyle's head.

"Whoa! Don't touch my pretzels, you motherfucker -" Kyle, now awake, stared in surprise as he saw Karen's stunned face. No one expected him to use that kind of language. Dan was prone to swearing like a sailor, but Kyle usually aimed to sound smarter. "Good morning, Karen. As you can see, I was up most of the night researching."

"Well, you shouldn't do that! If you're not going to bed earlier by the end of the week, I'm not letting you have any pretzels!" Aimee said.

"At least I didn't get wasted last night and crashed on the couch!" Kyle said, glaring at his computer screen.

"That reminds me. Dan, you spend a bit too much time at the bar. I know you like your beer, but we have a mission to carry out!" Aimee said, crossing her arms.

"Hey, don't be like that with me, missy!" Dan said, shrugging. "I was just spending time with my brother! We have to make up for the last ten years, after all. Plus there's someone else I wanted to see."

"Do you mean Mr Kaman?" Priscilla asked. "He's nicer than most of the other patrons of the bar, but-"

"Not him! I dunno what Blaine's been telling you, but I'm not that kind of guy! Come on, he's just a friend. This other person...it's a secret. If things go according to plan, I'll let you know about her!" Dan said, with a smug smile.

"I get it! He's got a crush on a girl there." Roger said, rolling his eyes. "I can see it in his eyes. He's a lovesick puppy!" Karen giggled, and Kyle loudly sighed.

"Okay, I'm going to go outside for some fresh air. That, and to train. Before I go, what's happening with the Holy Cross?" Kyle asked.

"Well, Seraphina received a special access badge for Tomas and Rudo's secret lab. Thus, she'll travel there later on and see how they're recovering." Aimee said. "It'll be great to fight alongside them! Hopefully, the three guys will be classier than two old guys and a moody teenager."

"Please, do I look like some whiny 16 year old who posts nihilistic rubbish on the internet?" Kyle said, dismissively. "Don't label me like that."

"I'm kidding! Right then, Tara and Matthew are busy at work, but I imagine we'll hear from them soon. So...if you guys feel like doing some training today, go out and do it!" Aimee said.

"Hey, kid, you coming with us?" Roger asked.

"I suppose I might as well. I'll leave this till later on." Kyle said, switching off the computer. He got his weapon ready, and wheeled himself over to Roger. "I presume you're taking Karen with you. Who else are you inviting?"

"Well, how about you, Dan?" Roger asked. Kyle looked over to Dan, rather hopeful.

"Actually, I was gonna team up with Priscilla. Maybe another time!" Dan said. Kyle's look of disappointment was clear for all to see, and he desperately looked away.

"Trust Dan to pick the team with the younger woman! Men!" Karen said. She shook her head, and joined in with the other girls as they laughed. "Looks like it's the three of us, Kyle. Don't worry, we'll take good care of you."

"Oh brother." Kyle said. The three of them left through the NDD, and Priscilla and Dan left shortly after them. Amara stood up, and walked over to an angry Seraphina. She knew she wouldn't say yes, but she had to try.

"Want to go fight Shadows with me?" Amara asked.

"I suppose if I have no one else to accompany me, I will go. Do not expect much in the way of pleasantries, however." Seraphina slowly rose from her seat, and ventured to the NDD. "What are you waiting for? Come, now!"

"Wait, let me come too!" Aimee said. "You could use a healer, right?"

"Okay then. I'll need to get used to fighting in a team, anyway." Amara said. "Let's go, girls!"

_Legarte, Symphonic Street_

The three women decided to travel through Symphonic Street, a part of Legarte away from the harbour and river areas that had a reputation for musical accomplishments. In the normal world, this was where the recording studio that Adrian Gale worked was based, and a string of successful artists had recorded here. Alas, in this world, the melodies of the city's heyday had been abruptly stopped, and the symphony was silent.

"Aimee, what do you know about this Zao?" Amara asked.

Aimee was quiet for a second, as she started to think. "He and I actually were childhood friends. Although I was very young at the time, I still remember me, him, and my brother playing together. Those were wonderful times, even when Zao was fighting with Karl over who got to look after me."

"Really? I can't imagine Zao doing that. He does seem like a nice man, but he's still a bit wimpy. You know what I mean?" Amara said. Seraphina kept quiet, as she began focusing.

"He is rather weaker than us, yes. I do appreciate his help, of course. It's nice to see Zao again, but I can't help but wonder what became of the one of this world." Aimee said, sadly. "We lost touch long ago. When I found out I wouldn't get to see him anymore, I cried and cried. Karl promised me that one day, we'd meet again. Looks like we did, but...it wasn't the way I wanted."

"So what happened to Karl?" Amara asked.

"He perished, you fool." Seraphina said. "Could you not have worked that out for yourself?

"Don't get mad at me! I'm not the Amara you guys usually hang out with, so I'm not familiar with who you guys are!" Amara said. "Sorry, Aimee. I shouldn't have asked-"

"That's alright. All of us have lost loved ones, thanks to Aeternus. That's why we have to put an end to the Eternal Road. If Tomas's plan works, we'll need to be as strong as we possibly can be." Aimee said.

"Yeah! Time for me to get back into the swing of things! Look, there's some Shadows over there! Go forth...Agilao!" Amara shouted. The raging flames of Sekhmet made quick work of many a Shadow, as the trio of ladies made it through Symphonic Street. Seraphina's pulverising power disintegrated a good deal of Shadows, as well.

"Well done. Let's stop here!" Aimee said. "I brought snacks! Here, Amara, have a Cielo Mist. It's full of 'Rainbow Goodness'!"

"Oh, thanks!" Amara said, grabbing the can. The three girls ate, but in silence. Seraphina didn't even look at Amara, and vice versa. Aimee's attempts at starting conversations were doomed to failure, due to their earlier spat.

"Amara, Seraphina, what's wrong? What are you two hiding from me?" Aimee asked. Amara stood up from the steps, and Seraphina immediately became panicked. "Seraphina?"

"Don't say another word!" Seraphina said.

"Lighten up, you crazy fortune teller. I was just stretching. I'll keep your secret...for now." Amara said, with a mischievous smirk.

"Secret?" Aimee asked.

"She's merely being comical! There are none of my secrets that you would be interested in!" Seraphina said, keeping a hand on her head. "Please, no more talk of this!"

"Is this secret why the two of you weren't talking?" Aimee asked. "I'd rather you two didn't get into arguments over something like this..."

"Don't worry, Aimee. I'm already enjoying being in a team. It's a lot more fun than when I was by myself. Seraphina, we should just forget about it." Amara said, holding her hand out. Seraphina, however, brushed it aside.

"Just because we are allies does not mean we are friends. My personal affairs are mine and mine alone. Please, no more prying." Seraphina said. Amara sighed, and waited for the other two to finish. Just then, she noticed a raven like Shadow in front of them.

"Oh crap! Ruby Ignition!" Amara cried out, Sekhmet's shining fire knocked the Shadow to the ground, leaving her to finish it off with a quick slash.

"That was an Amenti Raven. Rather putrid looking birds." Seraphina said. "Don't relax! There's two more!"

"What?!" Aimee stood up, gazing around. "No!"

Two Zionga spells just hit her in quick succession. Aimee cried in pain, whilst Seraphina glared at the assailants - two more Amenti Ravens.

"Hecate, bring forth destruction!" Seraphina boldly called. A Megido spell dead heavy damage to the Ravens, and they swooped down at Seraphina. She just barely avoided their attacks, but she wasn't able to avoid the twin Bufula spells.

"I'll get them!" Amara said, slashing one with her sword. The remaining one went after Aimee, who backed away - but a Sundial attack from Sekhmet stopped the assault. "Ha! No match for me!"

Just as she said that, four more of the Amenti Ravens surrounded the women. "More?!" Aimee shouted. "This isn't normal behaviour! What's going on?"

"Don't talk, just get ready to heal us!" Amara said. Two of them dived at Seraphina, knocking her off balance, whilst the others tried to attack Aimee. She raised her arms to defend herself, but the attacks didn't come. Rather, a powerful blast of Almighty energy struck them both, destroying them.

"What was that!?" Aimee asked.

"Megidola. My level of aptitude has increased." Seraphina said, flatly. "However, this level of power is rather draining…"

"Don't worry! I've got you covered. Maragilao!" Amara called out, as yet more flames incinerated the Ravens. She then tried to hit them, but before she could, they began sending an ominous purple fog at her. "Ugh…"

"Amara, hold on! Posumudi!" Aimee quickly beckoned Irene to restore Amara's condition - but as soon as she did, the Ravens died at her, knocking her to the ground. "Ouch!"

"You're _dead_!" Amara shouted. "Maragilao!"

The final blast of fire ended the battle with a bang, or sorts. The Ravens were all vanquished, and there were no sight of future encounters.

"Phew!" Amara said. "Seraphina, any more coming?"

"That would appear to be the last wave, but I have yet to discover where they came from. That was frightening…" Seraphina said. "Aimee, are you able to stand?"

"Y-Yes." Aimee said, standing up. "I hate not being able to do anything but heal you two."

"What are you talking about? Your powers are really special!" Amara said. "You're not like Serena, though. You're entirely focused on healing. Is there a reason for that?"

"I...have no clue. To tell the truth, I hate fighting. I hate it!" Aimee said, her eyes welling up. "All we ever do is fight, whether it's monsters or the Ornatu Legion!"

"That's just the way it is, Aimee." Amara said.

"I know! But I hate it! That's why I can only heal...it's the only way I can help without actually having to fight!" Aimee said. "No wonder Irene's so limited!"

"Aimee, we know you detest combat. I assure you, however, that there are no negotiations with the Ater Vox. You won't be able to conquer them with such hesitation."

"I know that. I'm just sick of it all…" Aimee said. "At least the Ravens weren't able to kill anyone. I'm sorry for complaining, I really am. Let's go home and have something to eat, okay?"

"More snacks? Great!" Amara said. "Don't you worry, Aimee, we won't be fighting over who gets to eat what!"

"Thank goodness. Seraphina's in charge of cooking today." Aimee said. "And her food is fantastic."

"Might I make some four cheese pizza?" Seraphina said, with a knowing smile.

"My favourite food! How did you - oh, your Persona?" Amara said, surprised.

"Of course. Also, I'd like to rescind that earlier remark, too. The one about being friends. It's not so terrible, having to fight with you. On the contrary, it was a pleasant experience." Seraphina said. The two women shook hands, and with that, Aimee smiled. She called Irene to teleport them away, and thus end the battles...for now.

_Farawell, Teardrop Fountain_

The teardrop fountain was yet another historical sight of the city, commonly surrounded by tourists. On first glance, it was a rather depressing statue - most of the water was from a crying maiden standing on the centre platform. Yet, the statues on the perimeter of the fountain were all supposed to be her friends, and the figure in front of her was her long lost love. The names of the lovers were lost in the sands of time, but the fountain remained an interesting place to examine.

Priscilla and Dan were taking a break here, after exterminating many Shadows. For some reason, the fountain was still running in the other world. The statues were in eerily good condition, despite the amount of Shadows around the area on a typical day.

"It's wonderful here, isn't it?" Priscilla said, staring deep into the crystal clear water.

"Mmmhmm. Sure." Dan mumbled, nodding. Priscilla sighed, and continued to stare.

"I remember when Nathan took me here on our first proper date..." Priscilla said. She gazed at the maiden, and smiled. "Even then, he'd talk about how special he thought I was, and how much he wanted us to be together."

"That's kinda sweet. How old were you then?" Dan asked.

"We were only about fifteen. He was so cute, turning up dressed up in his best clothes. We must have stayed all night here, talking about the future." Priscilla said. "Do you think we'll see him again?"

"Well, our world's Amara is back. And Nathan's a pretty tough guy, from what I've seen of him. Just hang tight, and you'll probably see him again soon!" Dan said reassuringly. "I bet we'll see Blaine again, too."

"Have you forgiven him?" Priscilla asked. "Please tell me you have. If you two end up fighting again, that'd be awful."

"I dunno. I haven't really thought about it. Matthew came back, but Blaine never got to see him again. It's like...I don't have a reason to hate him anymore, but I can't forget everything I went through the last ten years." Dan said. "The more that I think about it, it must have sucked being all alone for all this time. At least I got to meet you guys."

"He must have suffered a lot. If Blaine's really out there, he'll probably join up with us. Then the three of you can be together again, like old times!" Priscilla said. Just then, she stepped back from the fountain. Something didn't feel quite right about it. "Wait a second. Don't you think this fountain is in too pristine a condition?"

"Now that you mention it, there's something creepy about that maiden." Dan said. "One second. Cover your eyes."

"What for?" Priscilla didn't get a response, so she quickly covered her eyes. A loud bang echoed throughout the area, causing screams from the citizens in the nearby buildings.

Priscilla uncovered her face, and stepped back in horror. The maiden was no longer made of stone, but was a shadowy ghoul with pale skin and crimson nails. Her once demure and graceful clothes were torn and ripped, revealing strange swirling energy where skin should have been. Her eyes still cried, but the tears were blood, staining the ground as they fell. Her hands clutched a Shadow mask - the Priestess.

The other statues were transformed in similar ways - three of them were weak looking Priestess, and the last was a man clutching a spear seemingly painted with blood. The spearman had a Magician mask attached to his shield, and his face was completely covered by a black hole. The Spearman jumped down from the fountain, yet the maidens remained fixed in their original positions.

"So that's what's going on. Never thought Shadows would disguise themselves like that." Dan said.

"You're not surprised at all?!" Priscilla said, indignant.

"Let's just say I've gotten good at staying calm." Dan said. "Five against two...you better stay on your toes. Unless you want blood all over those clothes!"

"Please don't say things like that! I like this outfit!" Priscilla said. "Appear, Uathach! Unleash your Snowfield!"

The attack that Uathach delivered matched up to it's name. A freezing field of snow appeared from the ground, and struck the nefarious group of Shadows with powerful ice blasts. Only the main maiden seemed unaffected. Dan raised his rifle, and shot at the maiden, but the bullet went straight through it.

"What the fuck - argh!" Dan was struck by the spearman's swift swing, and the maidens recovered from the icy attack. In quick succession, they cast Rakukaja, Tarukaja, and Sukukaja on the central Maiden. It burst into demonic laughter as it hit Priscilla and Dan with Maragilao.

"No!" Priscilla was barely standing. The spearman was about to jab at her as well, and Priscilla panicked. "Get away!" This was a dangerous situation, more so than recent situations. Another Maragilao like that, and she wasn't sure she could survive. Dan wouldn't hold up much longer, either. She fiercely hit the spearman with her weapon, and dodged a flurry of spear attacks.

"Cursed Swings!" Dan bellowed. Tezcatlipoca materialised, and quickly brought down furious dark scythe swings on the spearman. Priscilla, feeling braver, cast Mabufula again. The spearman, along with the three weaker maidens, was hit with yet more ice. Tezcatlipoca, as commanded by Dan, unleashed a Mazionga attack. It wasn't quite as potent as Priscilla's Mabufula, but the spearman was definitely getting weaker.

"Nice work, Daniel. We've never done this before, you and I, but would you like to combine forces?" Priscilla asked.

"Priscilla, I like you as a friend but I think I'll pass -"

"Stop kidding around and do a combo attack!"

"Got it! Then let's see what happens!"

Tezcatlipoca charged himself with tremendous energy, and actually roared as he raised his scythe. Uathach gracefully moved along the ground in front of him, covering it with the clearest, smoothest ice Priscilla and Dan had ever seen. Tezcatlipoca stepped onto the ice, and skated forward, the ice flowing into his scythe, When he reached the spearman, he slashed the spearman with one ferocious strike. The spearman was actually cut in two, caused the maidens to scream loudly. These ghastly screamed prompted actual screams from nearby people, watching the battle from their windows. It seemed they assumed Dan and Priscilla were Ornatu Legion members - or they didn't care, as long as the Shadows would get taken care of.

"Hell yeah! This combo attack thing never fails!" Dan said. He gave Priscilla a thumbs up - but was knocked back by an Aques. "Shit..."

"Pay attention! We've still got those three to deal with!" Priscilla said. "Bufula!" The ice blast still had no affect on the central maiden. Dan tried a Zionga on it, but that too was useful. "This isn't good. Not even your rifle works on them! What are we going to do?"

"Give me a minute. We can waste these bitches, just be patient!" Dan said. He got a sinister look in his eye, as he raised his rifle. "Hit the other ones first! Or they'll keep annoying us!"

"Oh...okay. Snowfield!" Priscilla used the same move again, hitting all of the maidens with the ice attack. The central maiden was completely unharmed, as expected, but the rest of the maidens were rather damaged from the repeated attacks.

"Blood Blitz!" Dan, with an evil look in his eyes, watched with pride as he unveiled his new attack. Tezcatlipoca arose again, and rained down blood red bolts of lightning. When these bolts hit the ground, they even caused powerful blasts of dark power. One of the maidens completely crumbled apart from this attack, and the central maiden reacted with a horrifyingly high pitched wail.

"Dan, how in earth did you do that! That was incredible!" Priscilla said, amazed.

"Simple. That was my motorcycle's name back in the day. The Blood Blitz, shattering all it's competition into dust - well, except for the Black Lightning!" Dan said, his voice booming with pride. "See that, girls? That's what happens when you mess with us Kanaloa boys!"

The two remaining maidens were visibly unimpressed. One of them managed to muster up a Magnara, which hit Dan - painfully, sending him to the ground. "Goddammit! It's my first date all over again!"

"I'd ask, but we're kind of preoccupied." Priscilla said. If they had a healer, she wouldn't be so worried, but without one, they had to be as cautious as possible. The central maiden used Mind Charge, and a shiver went down Priscilla's spine. If it used Maragilao, then...

"Okay, don't panic! Give it everything you've got!" Dan shouted, as he got himself off the ground.

"Alright. Then here it comes! Mabufula!" Priscilla called out. The icy blasts of Uathach hit the remaining two maidens, which made them crumble just like the first one. Now, the central maiden was all alone, fixed in the centre of the bloody fountain. Dan shot it, and this time the bullet pierced through it's grotesque body.

"Not so brave now, are you?" Dan said, smug. "Come on, don't be shy! Show me how tough you really are!"

The maiden suddenly began sending a myriad of blood red fireballs into the air. Priscilla gasped, and began circling around the fountain along with Dan, trying to avoid every single one. The barrage seemed to last forever, as the fireballs sent smoke throughout the entire area.

"There's no time to cast!" Priscilla shouted, sidestepping another ball of flame. "If I can just - ah, I know!" Quickly, she jumped onto a platform where a maiden once stood, and immediately channelled the power of Uathach. "Please let this work! Aurora Borealis!"

The maiden saw Priscilla, and was about to cast a fire spell directly on her, but she was interrupted by a beautiful ray of light. Suddenly, a magnificent display of light and colour was shone upon the Shadow, causing it to cower in fear. Finally, after the final aurora of light, the Shadow fell down, and slowly crumbled away. With it, the entire fountain broke apart, and every last drop of water was gone. This was the real form of the fountain, after ten years of neglect. The Maiden and her cohorts had likely been here for some time, most likely due to the memories attached to the fountain.

"Phew...that was a bloody nuisance." Dan said, giving Priscilla a goofy smile.

"Yes, it was - oh, that was your idea of a joke." Priscilla said. "That was quite a fight. Thank goodness we prevailed."

"So the fountain really did go to shit." Dan said, staring at the wreckage. "It really was a pretty place before this happened."

"You did? I'd have thought the fountain would be too sentimental for a macho man like yourself!" Priscilla said.

"It was. But it still felt nice to be here. I was thinking about asking someone to come here with me, but I guess that's not happening anymore."

"Someone? Who?" Priscilla asked. "Oh, it's the lady you were talking about before."

"Yeah! Her name's Shirley, and she plays the piano. Also, she's kind of hot." Dan said.

"Well well, you never told us you had a girlfriend!" Priscilla said, smiling.

"Hold your horses! She's not my girlfriend. We talked a couple of times, and she was kind of gloomy at first. But you know, I think she does like me. She seemed pretty happy to see me the last time." Dan said.

"How cute! So this is the real side of Dan, hidden away from the world!" Priscilla said.

Dan laughed out loud, and was in good spirits. "Don't get the wrong idea, lady. The guy you saw kick the shit out of those Shadows is still the real me!"

"Oh, I believe that. Well then, good luck to you and this Shirley. Word of advice, don't ask her to come back to your place. It might come across as too keen. That, and you know what our place is like. She'd have to listen to Kyle banging away on the computer all night long!" Priscilla said.

"I'll bear that in mind. Trust me, when I was a lot younger I was quite good at charming the ladies. I like to think I still am! Anyway, we should get going." Dan said. Priscilla nodded, and the two of them left the scene.

_Saragel, Promenade_

The Promenade was empty as usual, apart from one lady who was lucky enough to get inside her home before the Shadows noticed her. Kyle grimaced, having no particular desire to be around a loved up couple - especially since they were quite a bit older than he was. What could they possibly have in common?

"Should be plenty of Shadows to kill around here today." Roger said. "Fine with me! Been a while since I've gone all out, anyway."

Karen nodded, and readied her sword. "Same here. We need to work harder, if the Divine Sparks are really going to be undone soon!"

"That's right. Once they are, the future is ours. The city will take a long time to repair, but I'm not too worried about that. Of course, that's because I'll be with you." Roger said, smiling.

"You always know just what to say, don't you?" Karen said. Her cheeks were bright red, and so were Roger's. Kyle loudly sighed, and the two lovers looked at him in confusion.

"What's with you, kid?" Roger said.

"Stop freaking calling me that! I'm seventeen now!" Kyle said.

"Oh, you're not sixteen anymore? You should have said your birthday was coming up." Karen said, surprised.

"Why? It's not like we could have done anything special, anyway. No one remembered, not even Dan." Kyle said, grim. The fact that Dan never once acknowledged his birthday this year had been hard to bear, as last time they had spent the whole day together fighting Shadows.

"A lot has been going on, you know. Especially since Dan got his little brother back. Wait...you're jealous because he hasn't been spending time with you as much, aren't you?" Roger said, poking Kyle's forehand.

"Don't ever do that again. And no! I'm not jealous at all!" Kyle said, defiantly. "I'd just rather be fighting with him instead of you two, spouting that stupid romance crap!"

"Oh, is that so? I suppose we won't be asking you along next time, then. Sorry to inconvenience you so much." Roger said. Kyle shrugged, and went on ahead.

"He can hide it as hard as he wants, but he's still a kid." Karen said. "Should we talk with Dan about this?"

"Hell no. That brat's got to learn he can't have his way all the time." Roger said, glaring at Kyle as he progressed towards Shadows. "I suppose we better get this over with."

"Oh. Yes. Okay! Protect me, Aeshma!" Karen jumped into battle, and Roger followed. The many battles that came were awkward, and there was no spirit of teamwork at all. Kyle seemed to be doing his hardest to prove his attacks were the strongest, when in actual fact they were no better than Roger or Karen's.

Later, they had cleared the entire promenade with Shadows. Karen's ice magic, Roger's water attacks, and Kyle's fire and earth spells worked well in eliminating them, yet they had barely spoken since their earlier spat.

"Looks like we're done for today. Let's go home." Karen said.

Kyle nodded, but before he could move, he saw a blinding flash in front of him, and what felt like a full scale blizzard sent him flying to the ground.

"Argh!" he screamed. He felt a rush of pain over his body, especially his hands. "Ow!"

"Kyle!" Roger said. He ran over, and checked Kyle's body. Quickly, he got Kyle back into the wheelchair, which miraculously was undamaged. "You okay?"

"That hurt...who was that?"

"Hahaha!"

"You!" Karen pointed at the tall woman standing on top of an abandoned pizza stand. Nina Agnethe, with her Persona Hel floating behind her.

"So this is the boy my little sister had a fancy for!" Nina said, struggling to contain her wicked laughter. "Such a rude and aloof child, isn't he? You two are adults! You shouldn't have to put up with his insolence!"

"No, but we don't have to put up with your bullshit either." Roger said. "So if you want to hurt that kid, you'll have to hurt us too!"

"Oh, I'm sorry you felt left out! I always intend to maim every enemy on the scene. You might have survived the Divine Spark from Takanawa, but you won't be so lucky today." Nina leapt down from the building, and readied her weapon.

"Agilao!" Kyle bellowed, but the flames were easily evaded. A barrage of sickle attacks came next, most of them hitting Roger. Karen dashed up, and struck Nina with her sword as hard as she could. Nina struck back, and the two women laid into each other with their weapons.

"Come on, get her while she's preoccupied!" Roger said, looking at Kyle.

"R-Right." Kyle said. "Hephaestus, Agilao!"

"Kanaloa, Aques!" Roger called. The fire and water magic struck Nina at once, and she screamed -mostly out of surprise, rather than pain.

"You were lucky with that assault, you thugs! But you'll never be able to endure my winter of discontent!" Nina snapped. "Mabufula!"

Icy blasts hit everyone, but they had minimal effect on Karen. She shrugged it off, and managed to pull off a Tarunda.

"Oh, you bitch! You won't get away with that - urgh!" Nina glared icily, at the powerful strike that had just hit her. It was Kanaloa, who had charged at Nina with his trident. "You're such an aggressive man! Why would someone as cowardly as Karen want someone like you around?"

"Coward? Not us!" Roger shouted. "Laguna Rush!" Kanaloa twirled his spear, and the waves of water beneath him suddenly became beautiful and clear, and shot at Nina with incredible speeds.

"Not bad. Not bad at all!" Nina said, having bared the brunt of the fierce waters. "Now then, Ice Break!"

"Ice Break" Karen shouted as well. Both Aeshma and Hel used the exact same spell on their opponent, much to their confusion. "Huh?"

"Perfect. Now there won't be any resisting my superior ice moves!" Nina said, with a menacing glint in her eyes. "Come forth! Permafrost!"

"Tundra Flair!" Karen countered. Permafrost was an absolutely chilling tomb of ice, that even Kyle and Roger could feel. Tundra Flair was able to hit Nina, but it was not anywhere near as troublesome for her.

"What power! Don't you think so, gentlemen?" Nina asked. Roger, furious, charged at her - ignoring Kyle's cry to stop. The two of them swung their weapons at each other, while Karen remained frozen.

"Not good. Let me try this. Searing Sequence!" Hephaestus, following Kyle's command, charged his sword with flames and struck the tomb of Permafrost. With each successive slash, the block of ice melted piece by piece, allowing Karen to escape. "Karen, you okay?"

"I'm fine. Now it's her turn…here goes! Aeshma, Bufudyne!" Karen screamed, as the power surged throughout her body. Kyle gasped, as a much stronger ice blast than Bufula attacked Nina. So Karen was the first to reach Dyne level magic - this would make battles much easier.

"No!" Nina, distracted by the newfound power of Aeshma, was victim to a vicious melee from Roger.

"You little whore! I can't let you bastards hurt Karen anymore!" Roger, having had enough of stabbing at Nina, looked upwards at Kanaloa. The Persona threw down his trident, causing a veritable blast of aquatic force.

"Nice try." Nina said. "But I won't be beaten by you so easily. Bufudyne!"

"Shit!" Roger exclaimed. Bufudyne hit him much harder than it did Karen, even without an actual ice weakness. Kyle raced forward to attack Nina, but was stopped by her medley of sickle swings.

"Your team's rather emotional, it seems!" Nina chided. "Haven't you had enough of pointless struggles?"

"Damn!" Kyle said. He attempted to attack her with his own weapon, but she was far too nimble to land a single hit. Karen's sword was also much too slow for her as well.

"Let's not postpone my victory any longer. I'll show you true defeat, you pathetic bunch!" Nina hollered. "Mabufula!" Kyle was lucky enough to get out of the way, but the powerful ice blasts further injured Roger and Karen. "Are you ready to die, boy?"

"No!" Kyle screeched. Clenching his fists, he felt nothing but pure rage in that moment. Hephaestus seemed to show that exact same fury, and Kyle knew then what to do. "Sacred Forge!"

Hephaestus's whole body seemed to be on fire. Crimson flames flowed throughout his entire body, even his faithful sword. He raised his burning sword, and it seemed to become nothing but fire itself in the shape of a sharp blade. Before Nina could react, a red glyph appeared beneath her feet, and it began to glow brighter and brighter, burning the ground itself.

"What's he doing?!" Karen shouted.

"Just watch. I think we're about to see something awesome." Roger said, calmly. However, he really wanted to scream and cheer…this was one moment he had never felt so alive.

Hephaestus pierced the glyph, not only hurting Nina with the power of it's flames, but causing a terrifying eruption of fire beneath the ground. Nina was utterly helpless against it, and as it finished, she fell to the ground, dropping her weapon.

"See?" Roger said. "This kid's got guts."

"No kidding." Karen said. "Way to go, Kyle!"

"You..." Nina seethed. Hel disappeared, leaving the ominous trail of red smoke. "You horrid cretins!"

"What's a cretin?" Roger said. "Wait, whatever. I don't even care. So, you feel like round two?"

"I hardly think wasting my time with you lot is worth my while!" Nina said. "You're such pests, after all. Your refusal to back down is only making matters worse! Also, I see those from the other dimension aren't here. Did my little sister finally get bored with tolerating that invalid?"

"What the -" Kyle gasped. He hadn't been called that since his school days. It still stung deep within his heart, however. Only this time, the bully was an adult…

"You're already weakened from our battle. Insulting our comrades might just make _you _the invalid." Roger said, raising his weapons.

"Give it a rest. I can see it as clear as day! That boy is cramping your style. Of course, I can see why Serena would bother with him. She's another irritating child, banding together with adults! In her fantasy, she must think she and Kyle are soul mates! If he could walk, he could find much better friends!" Nina chided.

"Are you done talking? Listening to you is agony, more so than your attacks!" Karen said, folding her arms.

"Hahaha...I'm finished. I'll leave you enjoy the thralls of victory for today. But we will have the last laugh in the end!" Nina said, cackling as she vanished into red mist.

"No you won't!" Kyle screamed. "I'll kill you, and Pierre, and all of you!"

"Kyle?" Karen said. She was taken aback by the sheer level of anger Kyle had just displayed.

"I won't let her talk about Serena that way!" Kyle shouted. "That stupid woman won't lay a finger on her, not as long as I'm around!"

"Easy there, kid. You'll get your chance to finish her off sooner or later. Besides, she's wrong - the other two Divine Sparks aren't going to happen!" Roger said. "Crap. You're bleeding…"

"It must have been when I fell to the ground. Oww..." Kyle said, as he clutched his right hand in agony.

"Hold on a minute." Roger said. He reached into his coat pocket, and pulled out some bandages. "I took these from Aimee just in case. Hold still…" Quickly, he wrapped some around Kyle's wound.

"Is he going to be alright?" Karen asked.

"Probably. He'll just have to be careful from now on." Roger said. "After all, he already told us he'd rather not fight in a team with us."

"…I'm sorry." Kyle said. He looked into Roger's eyes, and shivered. "It's just…I'm not sure what's wrong with me."

"Isn't it because of what Roger said earlier? Because you haven't been able to hang out with Dan as much?" Karen said.

"Um...well...I..." Kyle said. The young lad was flustered. "Maybe it is. Before Matthew showed up, we talked all the time. He'd encourage me, and help me fight better. Now, he doesn't even look at me..."

"You'll just have to deal with it for now. Don't sweat it - I'm sure he's not forgotten all about you." Roger said. "And if you're that worried, just go talk to him."

"But how can I tell him I'm jealous of Matthew?" Kyle said. "Matthew's a good guy, and he gets along with the others…why would anyone pick me over him?"

"It doesn't have to be a popularity contest!" Karen snapped. "When I was with Josephine, I was feeling similar thoughts. That no one wanted me around. Don't you get it? Thinking that way just makes you easy pickings for them!"

"I know...maybe I will try and talk to him." Kyle said, looking up. "Um, and I really don't mind if we end up doing this again. You're both rather skilled."

"Same to you!" Roger said, with a warm smile. "I'll come with you anytime you ask."

The two of them shook each other's left hand, since Kyle's right one was still hurting. Karen smiled, and held Roger's hand as the three of them left for the base.

_Clairdol Village, Beach_

It was a quiet day at the beach, even by Clairdol's sleepy standards. Even becoming the only accessible nation on the island hadn't made it any busier. This satisfied most of the island's populace, although many of the younger generation were bored listless.

However, Tara Miller knew the truth. Her city had once been her home, but not only had the city been transformed into a netherworld filled with the most abominable creatures imaginable, her own house had been utterly destroyed, and her parents with it. Staying here in the village used to cheer her up, but now that she knew the truth, she couldn't help but feel jealous of her fellow townspeople. They had no idea of what really was going on, and could continue their idyllic lifestyle by the seaside.

Tara was standing at the beach, gazing into the sparkling seas. Lately, she kept imagining someone was besides her. A kind, whimsical soul who wanted to hear the melodies of her violin. No doubt, she was thinking of Adrian Gale. Her memories from the other world must be afflicting her, and it made her feel lost. Adrian may not have been her love in this world, but he might as well have been - it hurt just as much.

"What are you doing out here? Hunting for seashells?"

"Oh...hello, Matthew." Tara said. Recently, Matthew had become even more chipper. Of course, that was because his brother Daniel was still alive, and now they were fighting together. Tara didn't have that luxury, however. Carlos murdered her parents for the sole purpose of breaking her heart - and thus, triggering the Divine Spark.

"Slow day, huh?" Matthew asked, stretching his arms. "I'm killing time. The police station is boring as crap, especially since Lucy's vanished."

"Lucy Crossman?" Tara asked. "Where did she go?"

"I dunno. She's been acting weird for a while, actually." Matthew said. "She was kinda bitchy, anyway. Always telling me off about my work ethic. I'd love this job if it was somewhere with actual crime, but - hey!"

"Hey...what?" Tara asked.

"Maybe finding Lucy is the crime I was meant to solve! It'll be cinch! All we have to do is ask that Seraphina cutie, and she'll find her in no time!" Matthew said. Seeing Matthew all gung-ho was rather charming, and it did take her mind off Adrian. Yet, she knew she couldn't let him get carried away.

"Listen to me, Matthew. You want to be this super cop who protects his people, right? Then stop treating it like some club activity!" Tara said. "And Lucy couldn't have gotten inside the city, and we know you can't use Persona activity out here. Don't you think that Seraphina won't be able to find someone missing outside the city?"

"...I suppose so. Tara, you really are a buzzkill sometimes. Still, that's what I like about ya. Tell you what, I'm going off to gather information. Most people think she's just sick, and couldn't be assed to call work. But I know I'll find some leads." Matthew said "Wish me luck!"

"Alright, Matthew. I'll see you later. Oh, remember we're going back to the base tomorrow!" Tara shouted as Matthew ran off. "So don't tire yourself out!"

"Okay!" Matthew replied, waving. Tara smiled, and began walking away from the beach. As she did, she look one last glance at the sea.

"Adrian...will I ever forget about you?"

_Aeternus Headquarters_

Pierre was walking down a hallway, heading to his office. He had long since grown tired of pretending to be a government-like official, pandering to the needs of the weak and pitiful public. The minute the Eternal Road was open, that would all end. What exactly would happen wasn't yet clear to him, but he was tantalized by Nihane's promises of glory and power. He entered his office, which was somewhat more organised than Archibald's, and immediately answered the ringing phone.

"What? What is it?"

"Sir! Someone contacted us from The Mole, and he says he has important information!" the nasally voice on the other end said.

"Enough talking! I'm already irritated. I'll take the call." Pierre said. There was no response, but a short beep soon led to what sounded like heavy breathing. "Hello?"

"You guys still there? God, what a fucking waste of time..."

"Ahem! You are speaking with Pierre Leonard of the Ater Vox. I would appreciate a little more courtesy, but more pressingly, details." Pierre said, already frustrated.

"Sorry bud, but I ain't got time for that formal shit. So let me cut to the chase, you fucking pansy. You heard of a Dan Kingsley?" the voice said.

"Yes. Horrid, vulgar man. Much like you are." Pierre said. It was a small relief that he couldn't see this man over the phone. He imagined some kind of middle aged chain smoker was speaking, but he didn't want to know.

"He goes to this bar called The Mole every now and then. I'm sure he's one of those Persona users you keep looking for. I've been calling since yesterday, but it took me fucking forever to get through. Can't you get more people on your telephone system?" the man on the other end of the phone said.

"I won't take recommendations from worthless scum like yourself!" Pierre said. "However, if we're able to capture him, I'll let your comments slide. Perhaps there will even be a reward."

"Reward? It better be good. Can I call you guys when he's next there?" the barman asked.

"Yes, you may. I'll attempt to keep a line free. It's a privilege you might want to cherish." Pierre said. Ignoring the angry string of obscenities, Pierre hung up.

"So, Daniel Kingsley and I will be crossing paths very soon. I wonder where this is headed. Hopefully tragedy, for all involved."


	50. Chapter 50: Age of Thunder

**AN: **We've finally reached the halfway point. Fifty Chapters! I want to thank all the followers, and please review. Once again, there's a renaming here - Warfare of Mjlornir is now 'Var Mjlonir'. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 50: Age of Thunder**

_Real People Offices, August 15__th__ 2012_

The next couple of days that passed were surprisingly uneventful. The Holy Cross were never available when the team travelled to visit Rudo and Tomas, the former claiming they were still fatigued. Why they were struggling and Other Amara wasn't seemed peculiar, but Amara just let it slide. Tomas was struggling with his experiments, however, and said it would take more time to fight against the Divine Sparks. There was no sign of the other selves, either. Seraphina and Other Amara seemed somewhat closer, however, and Kyle was enjoying Roger and Karen's company more. Dan spent most of his time with Matthew, which suited them just fine. Everyone else could see just how disappointed Kyle was when Dan declined training sessions with him, however. Zao remained uncertain about something, but he wouldn't say what. Was it just his overall lack of finesse compared to the others? Or was it something more?

Today, at Real People Offices, it was business as usual. Sheila was her usual self, apart from a temporary outburst upon receiving offensive fan letters. Colette and Lucy seemed to be on better terms, but they weren't as close as before. Juan seemed pretty excited about something, but what, Amara couldn't tell. Perhaps he was heading off to Australia or something.

"So Amara, how's that boyfriend of yours?" Sheila asked. She seemed more concerned with Amara's love life than Lucy's, but that was probably because Amara discussed hers more often. Although Lucy was keen to point out how 'sexy' Blaine was. _I bet every time she says that to him, his ego gets bigger and bigger. And it was pretty big as it was..._

"Oh, he's doing great! He and I are gonna meet up for dinner tonight, and I just know he'll drag me to another seafood restaurant I've never heard of before. I'm surprised there's so many in town." Amara said. Ever since she met him, she had been eating quite a lot of fish. Of course, Zao was also fond of the more colourful varieties one would find in one's fish tank. In fact, she had decided to get one for herself, and tonight she'd ask him to help pick out some good ones. It'd be a lot less stressful than facing Shadows, and it certainly would prompt Zao to come round more often - even if it was just to see the fish.

"It's good to see you two so happy together. I just hope it lasts. So many relationships start out full of wonder and sparkle, then it quickly fades into crushing monotony and despair." Sheila said, with a bitter tone in her voice. "Five men taught me that, one after the other."

"You weren't going out with all of them at the same time, were you?" Colette asked.

"No, stupid! Three of them cheated on me, one of them broke up with me on Valentine's Day, and the fifth one...well, he was okay. But it just kind of fizzled out." Sheila said. "He's the only one I keep in touch with."

"Well, Zao's doesn't sound like any of your men." Amara said. "Besides, he's just so happy all the time. I can't imagine him being boring." As she said this, she thought back to his triumphant cheers every time he beat a Shadow. It seemed impossible to deter him from anything.

"Good. But if you need any advice, feel free to ask me." Sheila said, and for once, she wasn't being arrogant about her expertise. This time, she actually seemed willing to help out.

"Thanks, Sheila, but I'll be fine." Amara said. The day finally reached it's end, and as everyone started putting away their things, Karen practically skipped out of her office with glee.

"Girls - oh, and Juan - great news!" Karen said. "We've just managed to get our second exclusive interview!"

"Awesome! Wait, who was the first?" Juan asked, scratching his head.

"It was Roger Martin, you idiot!" Sheila said, annoyed.

"Who is it this time?" Amara asked.

"He's Luigi Calaverri, a fashion designer. His new range of Impulse Swimwear is making waves in the field of summer fashion! Therefore, it's up for Colette to handle this one!" Karen said, smiling. "Don't worry, you can handle it! I'll tell you the details tomorrow, but there shouldn't be any problems."

"Um...okay!" Colette said, putting on a smile. The minute Karen left - presumably for Roger's house - Colette immediately started to panic. "Oh my god! What the hell am I going to do?"

"Colette, what's the matter? You know the most about fashion here. We've seen that for ourselves, with the ratings you give our daily outfits. You'll do great!" Amara said.

"Not necessarily. Being knowledgeable about clothing doesn't make someone skilled in rhetoric." Stella said.

"I've never done anything like this before...I just figured I'd write articles about the newest clothes!" Colette said, her voice becoming more and more emotional. "I can't do this! But if I don't, I'm screwed!"

"Alright Colette, I get the idea. You need a bit of help conducting yourself in a face to face interview. Why don't we practice beforehand?" Lucy asked.

"Um, but...are you sure?" Colette asked, surprised.

"Of course. I want us all to behave in a professional manner, and you could stand to learn how to do that." Lucy said. "I'll give you a few pointers from an expert."

"That'd be great. Give me a call, then!" Colette said. "Okay then. Juan! We're off!"

"Oh, of course!" Juan said, grinning. As he and Colette held hands and left, the rest of the team stared in amazement.

"So that's why he's been so cheerful. He finally got the girl!" Amara said.

"He certainly did." Sheila said. "It won't last. One shopping spree in town and he'll be scarred for life. And death."

"Well, whatever - oh!" Lucy said, as her phone started ringing. "I'll see you guys later!" she said excitedly, running into the hallway.

"That reminds me, I'm going to meet Zao later! See ya!" Amara said, rushing towards the elevator. _Love seems to be in the air today… _She quickly checked her phone for messages, and there were a few more pictures from Zao. Most of them were fish he had caught, but another was a fishing hook with many tufts of hair in it. According to the image's caption, it had been stuck in his grandfather's beard for twenty one years. _Eew. Lord knows what else is stuck in that thing. Please, for the love of Rashnu, don't ever let Zao grow a beard..._

As the elevator went down, she noticed someone standing in front of the ground floor's bathroom. _Archibald Ebert. The 'good' one. _She was apprehensive, yet she came towards him.

"Archibald Ebert? What the heck are you doing here?" Amara asked.

"Ah, I was waiting for you. I presume you're off to the other world tonight, correct?" he said, as she stared at him.

"Yeah. So what?" Amara said. She didn't particularly like this man, especially after their battle in the Farawell Shadow Development Centre. Yet this Archibald wasn't quite the same. Or was he?

"Your animosity is understandable, but let me just say this. I know what Tomas is planning - more than you do, actually." he said, his finger on his glasses. "You do feel his behaviour is somewhat unstable, correct?"

"Maybe he's a little different, but he's been through a lot. He'll be okay once we're finished with the Divine Sparks, I know he will!" Amara shouted. "Look, you have no right coming into my place of work to badmouth one of my oldest friends!"

Archibald shook his head, and looked towards the window. "You're lucky it's quiet today. No one here seems to be paying us much attention, despite your lack of an indoor voice. Let me continue. Your friend, Tomas, is not quite as benign as you claim. He has tainted himself with the power of falsehood, in complete parallel to your genuine and superior power of truth. Not only that, he has already manipulated Rudo into violating his own heart."

"What the - are you talking about the Ornatu Legion's power?" Amara said. "But if he's got one of those Personas -"

"It's as you suspect. His mind and body are in grave danger, with every passing second. His power is actually far more potent than the vast majority of the Legion, however. If he continues down his current line of thought, something terrible may happen." Archibald said. _He's got to be lying...right?_ "When you go there tonight, be prepared for anything. Also, when the subject of the Holy Cross comes up, refuse to let them stay in the secret lab."

"Why?" Amara asked. "What do they have to do with anything?"

"I fear for their safety. Also, it would make things easier in the long run if you forged bonds with them. Things must proceed as I see them..." Archibald said. "Now then...farewell."

He completely vanished - and no one else nearby reacted. Amara quickly ran out, and looked all over, but neither him or Nina were nearby. Those two...they were so strange. Did they actually have the same kind of powers as Stella? Their selves in the other world didn't...

Now all Amara could do was wait. She had to prove Archibald wrong - Tomas Weiken was a good man. And as far as she knew, he would never use such an awful power on himself.

_Lucille Valley High School_

The title of Head Girl was not quite as glamorous as it seemed. In fact, it was nothing but hassle. One of her new tasks was to attend weekly meetings on a Wednesday to discuss how to improve the school. Today, she merely said that there were no 'pertinent issues' - in other words, she had no idea. Sounding professional to her fellow teachers was probably a better idea, of course. Thankfully, she had plans tonight with Amara and the others. Now they were the ones with truly pertinent issues to tackle, far beyond Lucas' perceived lack of funding for the music department.

"That sucked..." Serena said, as she finally got out of school. However, the sight of a certain boy in a wheelchair soon brought out a large smile. "Oh, hey Kyle!"

"Yo, Serena! You finally done?" Kyle asked.

"Yep, sorry about that. These stupid weekly meetings with the teachers are going to drive me crazy! I don't care how much they charge for sandwiches in the canteen, as long as they have enough cheese and onion ones." Serena said, annoyed. "Lucas is still in there, going on and on about some upcoming field trip. Oh, there he is."

"Hello Serena. Kyle." Lucas said, with a look of disdain. Kyle kept quiet, and sighed.

"Off home then, Lucas?" Serena asked.

"Yeah. Then I'm hitting the gym. You?" Lucas asked.

"I...have stuff to do." Serena said, looking away. Meeting up with Amara and the others would be a lot more fun. Not to mention, in her eyes they were much cooler than any of her teachers.

"What about you, Kyle?" Lucas asked.

"Nothing that'd interest you." Kyle said.

"What, you think I'm only into sports? Cut me some slack, little guy. I'm into - oh screw it, never mind. Catch you guys later." Lucas said, jogging away towards the bus stop.

"That idiot!" Kyle said. Once again, Lucas got on his nerves. "Forget him. What do you mean by 'stuff', anyway?"

"Oh, that? I'm gonna meet up with Amara and the others!" Serena said. "But tell you what, next time, I'll bring you along!" _Well, as long as we're not going into the other world that time..._

Kyle nodded. "I'm holding you to that. Those guys are cool, especially Dan."

"You and him seem pretty close...it's nice. Come on, let's go!" Serena said, and the two of them headed for the bus stop.

As they got on the bus, they saw a familiar face sitting down by the window. It was Lucy, looking rather annoyed about something.

"Lucy!" Serena said. "It's been a little while since the barbecue. How are you?"

"Oh, it's Serena! I'm glad I finally remembered your name this time. Mostly because Blaine told me off...hehe." Lucy said, rather awkward. "I'm okay, I suppose."

"Great! We're on our way home from school." Serena said, as she sat besides Lucy.

"Um...are you meeting Blaine later on?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah. Well, Amara and Nathan are coming too. And so is Zao!" Serena said, cheerily - but Lucy didn't seem quite as energetic.

"I thought so. I don't know what it is you guys do, but could you tell him I'm sorry?" Lucy asked. "He'll know what I'm apologising for. I don't want to say any more than that."

"Sure, okay. Anyway, how was your work?" Serena asked. Lucy sighed, staring out of the window.

"Oh...it was fine." Lucy said, apathetically. "Sometimes, I just feel no one appreciates the work I put in for that magazine. But don't mind me. I'm just feeling a little down. You will tell Blaine I said sorry, won't you?"

"I will!" Serena said. "Come on, tell me about what you do! Is being an assistant editor fun?"

"Oh, it's not really exciting, but it's very rewarding." Lucy said. As she discussed her day to day duties, she seemed a little cheerier, and Serena smiled all the while. Lucy was clearly devoted to her work, much more than anyone else she had met. Nathan was a hard worker as well, but Lucy was something else. Yet even so, she still wanted time for her and Blaine.

As Serena and Kyle got off the bus, they waved goodbye to Lucy. Serena wondered to herself…what was the other Lucy like? She didn't come from the city, or so she remembered Blaine saying. So she was completely away from all the chaos over there, safe and sound. Thank goodness for that, Serena thought.

_Albion Incorporated, Nathan's Office_

Priscilla stepped into Nathan's office, holding a hot cup of coffee. She seemed anxious, however. Earlier that morning, Nathan completely blanked his father, but actually waved at Joe. Normally, it'd have been the other way around. Now she wanted to know exactly what was going on.

"Hello darling. Hold on. What's wrong?" Nathan asked.

"What's wrong?! Nathan, you and Reginald have barely been talking lately! What on earth happened between the two of you?" Priscilla asked, slamming the coffee onto his desk.

"I can't tell you that. If I did, you'd just worry -"

"Of course I would! You're the love of my life, you idiot! If you're unhappy, I want to know why! Maybe I'd be able to help!" Priscilla said. "But lately, you spend all your time with your new friends! I never get much of a chance to talk to you outside work. So talk! Why aren't you and your dad talking?"

Nathan gulped. Priscilla rarely raised her voice, especially to him. Yet whenever she did, she was serious. She wouldn't let him get away with a 'It's nothing' this time - and it was about time he told her, anyway.

"I found out that father had an affair." Nathan said. Those words stung his throat with every syllable, and it was like a never ending echo.

"What?!" Priscilla exclaimed. "Is that true?!"

"He confirmed it himself! When we were just teenagers, he betrayed my mother! Our family never betrays one another, but he did!" Nathan said, slamming his fist on the desk. "He always taught me to love my family and friends, and never to let any of them down. He said that complete loyalty and commitment to one person was enough to get a person through any of life's hardships! But he actually…slept with another woman!"

"Nathan, I..." Priscilla muttered, faltering. "I'm sorry. No wonder you're so angry at him."

"I'm more than angry. I feel like he's torn the Albion name apart! I don't want anything to do with him!" Nathan said, staring at the papers on his desk. "It's too hard to even talk to him, without thinking about it. He played the image of a loving father and husband, but that was just a big lie!"

"No it wasn't!" Priscilla said. "He never did anything to hurt you, did he? He always encouraged you! He might have had an affair, but that didn't mean he loved you any less!"

"Priscilla." Nathan said. "I know you're trying to help. But I can't get my head around it just yet. Listen, I'll be busy tonight, but tomorrow night, let's do something special."

"Something special?" Priscilla asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well..." Nathan said, thinking. "Aurelia Park. I know how much you love sitting there, watching the evening go by. Let's go together!"

This made Priscilla's face light up with a warm smile. She nodded, and sat down opposite him.

"You have to make up with your father at some point, though. Just don't leave it too late. Remember what Joe's going through?" Priscilla said, sadly.

"Please, don't worry so much." Nathan said. "Now then, about the order form..."

_Bar Seoul, 4:45pm_

To say Blaine was having a good day at work would be like saying the sky wasn't blue. In other words, a complete and utter lie. Today was probably the worst he had ever had, thanks to his demanding boss, a shorter break than usual, and especially irritating customers. From screaming toddlers to stuck up businessmen, they were becoming impossible to endure.

"Hey, idiot, this food's too damn spicy!" a particularly belligerent customer said. _Not this shit again._

"Well, mister, it says on the menu it's the hottest dish we have." Blaine said, forcing a polite expression. If he wasn't being watched by the other employees, he'd have gladly punched this man in the face.

"Yeah, but they never mean it on these things! Come on! I'm not eating this crap! I want a refund, now!" the customer said. His wife nodded, and Blaine grimaced. Another waiter came over, and signalled Blaine to clean a table by the window. Blaine walked over, and ignored the loud shouting about how 'ugly' and 'unshaven' he was. _You're no oil paining yourself. Come to mention it, I've never seen an oil painting. I'll have to ask Amara about those..._

"Problem again, Blaine?" one of the waitresses asked.

"It's one of those days." Blaine said. "It's no fun without the guys around. I think I need a change of pace."

"I think so too. To be honest, we don't really need someone like you here." the waitress coldly said, and she stepped away.

_Oh yeah? Well, I don't need to be here either!_

Blaine smiled, and breathed a sigh of relief. This job had been nothing but trouble. Sure, he got to meet Amara, Nathan and Serena because of it, but they had so much more going on in their lives. Amara was doing what she loved more than anything else, Nathan was in an office with many attractive secretaries (of course, none of them held a candle to his beloved Priscilla) and Serena was having fun at school with Kyle. So why couldn't he have some fun? There had to be some job he could find that didn't involve cleaning tables every day. That might be enough for most people round his town, but not him.

His shift was nearly over. Without a second thought, he immediately went into the changing room - for the last time. Lucy would probably complain, but he'd deal with that. Besides, she probably hated his job more than he did. Now, it was time to do something meaningful in both worlds - not just one.

_Farawell, outside the Warehouse_

"Looks like we're the first ones here!" Zao said. "You enjoyed eating at Captain Jacques, right?"

"Yes! I didn't realise the French used fish so much in their cooking." Amara said, smiling. "I'm stuffed!"

"Me too. Oh yeah, remember the picture I showed you of the fishing hook? Grandpa says it's been in his beard since the day he found out my mom was pregnant!" Zao said, excitable as ever. "Maybe he'll find another one from forty nine years ago!"

"Wouldn't that be really unhygienic?" Amara said. She couldn't quite share his passion for this topic, but she tried smiling anyway.

"Maybe, but my grandpa's a tough old bastard. Speaking of tough old bastards, Blaine! Over here!" Zao shouted, waving as Blaine came to them, Nathan and Serena behind him.

"I'll let the old bastard comment go. At least you remembered to add 'tough'." Blaine said. "As I was telling Nathan and Serena, I quit my job!"

"What?" Amara said. "I thought you liked it there?"

"Please, serving food to ungrateful pricks all day? If I hadn't been desperate for work at the time, I'd never have taken it. Of course, now I'm desperate for work again. A vicious cycle I'm in..." Blaine said. "So, ideas?"

"Janitor?" Serena said, smiling. "My school's actually looking for a janitor's assistant."

"Nah, forget it. I knew a dude who used to do that, and he got beaten up two or three times a day. Of course, your school is like a million times better than mine." Blaine said.

"There aren't any positions at Albion Inc available at the minute, so you're out of luck there." Nathan said. "Honestly, shouldn't you have thought this through?"

"Come on, I don't do things like that! I live in the moment!" Blaine said. "Although when I told Lucy that, she went crazy, on and on about how I should be doing something more professional with my life. I ain't got time to go to school for years like her. I need something now that's good."

"Oh! I met Lucy earlier, actually. She told me to tell you she says sorry." Serena said. Blaine simply laughed. "What? That's not funny?"

"Yes it is! That's just like her to be too scared to apologise in person." Blaine said. "One less thing to worry about, I guess. I'll have to take her out one night after I get this new job."

"Well, what do you like doing?" Zao asked. "Fishing?"

"That's your gimmick, not mine. Me, I like motorcycling, dirty movies, alcohol, and - hey, that's it!" Blaine said, as if a light bulb had just lit up above his head. "I know every beer in town. I've made plenty of cocktails for me and Dan at home. And I know just how to get the party started, how to continue the party, and end it in style!"

"Where are you going with this?" Amara asked.

"Duh! I'm gonna become a bartender!" Blaine said, holding up his clenched fist. "So from tomorrow, I'm gonna see what's out there!"

"Well then, good luck." Nathan said. "I just hope your Lucy approves."

"Oh, she will. If I'm working one night, all she has to do is pop in! Of course, I'll be the one serving her a drink. Which is probably for the best - she's not very steady with wine bottles. I've had to wash a few shirts because of that..." Blaine said.

"Alrighty then! Blaine, you look like you've got fire in your eyes! You wanna show some Shadows who's boss?" Zao asked.

"Damn right, my man! Every single one we fight tonight, we kill!" Blaine said. Amara had to admit, Blaine's enthusiasm was rubbing off on her. She ran straight in, and the others followed her. _I'm going to give those Shadows hell, too!_

_Secret Base_

"Ah, you're here at last!" Aimee said. "Everyone, say hello to the Holy Cross!"

"Good to see you all again. Also, it's a pleasure to meet so many new faces." Alastair said. "So you were all correct. Aeternus are not to be trusted."

"I'm just glad you guys are okay." Serena said. "What do you remember about the Divine Spark, anyway? You and our other selves were there, and only Amara's self from this world made it back. Well, apart from you."

"It was freaking crazy!" Richard said, his eyes darting around wildly. "Nihane was being all evil, like blah blah blah I'm gonna go complete the Eternal Road kay thanks bye. So then we all have super weird evil thoughts! Like, I want to kill everyone!"

"Yes, that must have been the manipulation move Nihane used. I never expected it would have such a disastrous effect on all of us." Bianca said. Amara noticed she had her hair a lot neater, in a far prettier style. Also, she seemed to have applied a light shade of lipstick, giving her a more ladylike appearance.

"After that, the next thing we remember is waking up with Mr Weiken and Mr Furaha." Kazuya said, looking displeased. "The former is a rather odd man, cackling away to himself no matter what's been said. The latter seems more subdued. Anyway, we don't know where Nathan Albion or Serena Agnethe have gone. Or the Commander, for that matter."

"I'm sure he'll be okay." Bianca said, glancing in Blaine's direction. "He's quite formidable. If we can survive the Divine Spark, so can he!"

"I'd love to stay and chat, but we've been out of action for quite some time. So for the time being, the four of us need to practice our skills. Don't worry, we'll be up to your level in no time at all!" Alastair said. "Perhaps once we're ready, we'll have a battle against you four."

"Oh! You mean Nathan, Serena, Blaine and me?" Amara asked. "Bring it on! We'll win for sure!"

"Don't let your past victories cloud your judgment. We're going now, so take care." Alastair said, leaving through the NDD.

"I'm so grateful you saved us all. From now on, the Ater Vox won't deceive us!" Bianca said, as she and the others followed Alastair.

"It's good to see they're still in top shape." Dan said. "The more of us there are, the harder it is for the Ater Vox to kill us! We can't lose!"

"That kind of attitude will only make their job easier. We can't be reckless, no matter what happens. Don't be so stupid!" Kyle said. _Huh? Since when did Kyle get so angry towards Dan?_

Dan was equally as surprised, but didn't say anything. Seraphina, however, stood up from her chair.

"There is something important we have to relay to you all. Today, when me and Amara were exploring Takanawa, Nina appeared before us. It was not the one we have been fighting, however. Rather, it is the one that occasionally aids us." she said.

"No way! What did she have to say?!" Serena asked.

"She was brief, but she did state something odd. That we should be careful of Tomas Weiken, and also, something significant would occur if we reached the area around Lorean Tower tonight." Seraphina said.

"That stupid tower again?" Blaine said. "After all the stupid shit we've been through there, we have to go back. What fun."

"Relax. We'll be alright." Amara said. "No matter what appears there, we can handle! Right?"

Everyone else nodded. Priscilla looked around, and smiled. "I think all of us are ready. I'm still a bit concerned as to what will happen, but we've been through a lot already."

"That's right! We might as well go right now, anyway. Shall we?" Matthew asked.

"Of course!" Karen said. "If it's one of the Ater Vox, I hope it's Josephine. I still have to make her pay…" Nathan shuddered at the mere mention of her name, and Amara looked at him with pity. The news of the affair was still bothering him, but she couldn't think of a way to cheer him up. Still, he seemed resolved to fight. After everyone made sure they were prepared, the NDD was fired up. Lorean Tower awaited them once again.

_Outside Lorean Tower_

"So this is Lorean Tower? I was expecting something like a fairy tale tower, with a gorgeous princess stuck up there! But all the pretty girls are down here!" Zao said.

"Um..." Priscilla, embarrassed, turned away.

"Knock it off! Seraphina, do you sense anything?" Kyle asked.

"Unfortunately, Hecate cannot find anything." Seraphina said, agitated. "All I feel is unease…tension. Something's definitely afoot, but I cannot verify the source of the threat."

Just then, a gigantic bolt of thunder struck the ground in front of them. When the flash of light subsided, a man stood in front of them, his fists raised. Archibald Ebert...but this one was not their ally. This was the man of the Ater Vox, who hid behind a monitor and manipulated Roger.

"Hello again. I wasn't expecting so many of you to come here. What's this? Why are there two Amaras?" Archibald said, stunned. "The Divine Spark should have killed you!"

"Should have, but didn't! I'm back, ready to kick you into next week!" Other Amara boasted.

"This girl is so impudent. It seems the Divine Spark isn't quite as deadly as we thought. Not that it should be any less effective in opening the Eternal Road." Archibald said.

"Give us a break! What do you want, bastard?" Blaine demanded.

"You still don't know that? I'll have to remind you, then. I seek the completion of the Eternal Road!" Archibald said, pointing towards the ground. "Once we've found the last Divine Sparks, then each of us can alter reality to whatever we wish!"

"What? That's crazy! You don't deserve to do that!" Tara shouted. "You sick weirdoes have only screwed this city up! You're not heroes who should save this planet!"

"Exactly. This planet isn't worth saving. That's why we're going to get rid of it! Only the Divine Sparks will let us do that! Nihane Kronos promised us the potential to change the world…all of our dreams will come true!"

"Oh yeah? What's your dream, Archie?" Roger asked, infuriated.

"I'll get rid of all of you vermin to start with, and then I can relive my golden years." Archibald said. "It was over twenty years ago now. In that time, a friend and his family offered me true friendship - unlike whatever bonds you think you share. This world was too cruel to allow those years to last, however, and that friend perished! His family suffered dearly, and until the Eternal Road is open, they will never be together again!"

"That's crazy! If you cared so much about his family, why didn't you do anything to help them? Wouldn't the Shadows have killed them by now?!" Serena shouted.

"Don't you dare talk to me that way, you pathetic girl. I was a fool back then, unable to face my friend's family. His wife perished quite some time before we discovered the Shadows...but his son remains!" Archibald said. "Once I find that son, I will take him with me to the Eternal Road! There, I will ease his pain!"

"You're fucking insane. Your friend wouldn't want that, not in a million years!" Blaine said, raising his gun. "And we're not letting it happen, either!"

"That's right! Your Divine Sparks will end, and we'll be the heroes who save the city! Not you, old man!" Amara said. "Go ahead, fight us! If you're not a coward, you won't hide like last time!"

"And you sure as hell aren't gonna make me do the fighting, either!" Roger said.

"Our days of being manipulated by the Ater Vox are over! Your precious 'golden years' are over, just like mine. I'd give anything to have them back, but not the entire world!" Karen said.

"You people have never known true despair, have you?" Archibald said - and he seemed sad as he said this. "A dismal state where you believe nothing will change, and that life means nothing…once you reach that state, words like the ones you spouted will bring nothing but anger to you."

"It's your fault you wound up that way!" Zao said.

"Very well then, if you wish to fight me again, let's have at it." Archibald said, snapping his fingers. A large army of Shadows surrounded the team, and they were itching for battle.

"Shit..." Dan said, clutching his rifle. "Some of us are gonna have to hold off these guys."

"You're right. Amara, Seraphina, Blaine, Roger, and Tara! Fight off Archibald! Everyone else, fight the Shadows!" Aimee said. Everyone summoned their Personas, and nodded.

"Thor!" Archibald beckoned, as his robotic beast of a Persona emerged himself. "Now that we're face to face, I can test out my latest weapons!" He then punched the air twice, and Amara blinked - then she felt sharp pain, as she hit the floor. He had just sent sonic waves at her…

"Nice gadgets!" Blaine said. "But those are just toys. Tlaloc, go!" Tlaloc swung his mighty hammer at Archibald again, while Kanaloa's spear hit him from behind. "Not bad, Roger!"

"I'm just getting started. Laguna Rush!" Roger's newfound water power struck Archibald at full speed, knocking him sideways. The senior man managed to avoid a couple of swings from Tara's weapon, but he didn't notice the light of Ruby Ignition until the last minute. Shining flames raged, as they burned beneath him.

"Haha! Got him! Now, Tara!" Amara said, and Tara nodded, with a sinister smirk.

"Maká! Magnara - actually, hold on. There's a better note I can play! Magnadyne!" Tara's earth powers had increased even further, as she managed to unleash the pulverising earth attack. Archibald, however, was still standing.

"So you've managed to corner me with your precious weapons and magic. Unfortunately for you, mine are top of the range. Allow me to show you! Thunder Cannon!" Archibald bellowed. Thor's cannon shot straight at Roger, and the ammunition was brutal. Roger fell over, immobilised.

"Crap! Diarama!" Tara's healing spell worked, and it seemed to be on the same level as Serena's. However, she didn't notice the sonic waves until they were right in front of her - and there was no time to avoid them. She fell, scraping her knees, and swore loudly.

"Die, you piece of shit!" Amara gripped her sword, and dashed right at Archibald. She narrowly avoided the fast blasts of energy, but it was too hard to evade every single one of them. Eventually, a combo of three struck her all at once, and they were painful. Tara quickly healed her, but she was blown away by a Ziodyne.

"No way..." Amara gasped. _This old man's stronger than before! _"Marakukaja!"

Prior to this fight, Amara desperately wanted to have her counterpart's ability for defending others. It took many battles, but she had mastered the Rakukaja spell to increase it's range. Now, everyone was protected. To her horror, however, Archibald immediately used Marakunda.

"No!" Amara yelled. A quick blast from his fist sent her flying. Tara rushed towards him, but his other fist put a stop to her charge.

"Still think my gloves are just toys?" Archibald asked. Blaine wasted no time in trying to shoot at his gloves, but it was no use. Archibald simply avoided every attack, and blasted him to the floor. Roger's Laguna Rush, however, caught him off guard.

"Take that, you son of a bitch!" Roger shouted. "I'm gonna tear you apart!" Archibald didn't have time to blast him away. Roger was incensed with rage, and he was out for blood. Without any hesitation, he swung his claws faster and stronger than ever before. Each cut would have killed a normal man, but it was taking all of Archibald's spiritual energy to endure this barrage.

This medley of unrestrained violence would have continued forever, were it not for Thor's second Ziodyne. This time, he was down on the ground, without any strength to get up.

"Roger! Hang on. Elec Break!" _Ah, I remember this one! _The spell seemed to do the trick, and Archibald hurled more blasts in response. Blaine ducked to avoid them, and laughed. "Okay, old guy, you did well, but you haven't seen what I'm capable of! Ziodyne!"

Amara gasped - this power was far above the level of Zio and Zionga. Even Acid Volt was pitiful compared to this attack. Archibald actually cried out in pain - and he was well beyond angry. In fact, his fury was enough to make his entire aura cover the entire area.

"You're not the one I wanted to fight, but you'll make good practice! Prepare yourself! Blessed Soil!" Maká swung her staff, and a beautiful choir's melody could be heard. The ground beneath Archibald changed from slabs of stone to rich, fertile soil. Archibald stared, still enraged - and he was soon sent flying into the air by an enormous tree root. As he fell, the ground turned to normal. "Not so full of yourself now, are ya?"

"You worthless bitch! I won't be defeated here! I will have you suffer for what you've done! Come forth, Var Mjlornir!" Archibald screamed.

_Oh no. _This was Archibald's strongest move…Thor rose into the air, just as he did once before. His canon charged with energy, the mechanism inside audible from miles away. Then, Thor fired, and everyone caught in the pain that ensued. Amara's body was being electrocuted all over, and Hathor couldn't stop it. Eventually, it was over, but so was her strength.

The others had finally defeated the squad of Shadows that had surrounded them, but they were in no state to continue fighting. Aimee couldn't even bring herself to heal anymore.

"Looks like your companions need a nap!" Archibald said, holding in his laughter. "You lot aren't looking so good yourself, either."

"Shut it, you loser!" Amara said, even as tiredness started to set in. Her sword felt heavier than ever, and even calling Hathor for help seemed too much to do.

"Crap..." Tara wheezed, utterly exhausted. "This old codger's stronger than I thought."

"No kidding." Blaine said. "I thought we could take the Ater Vox by now..."

"If thinking was your strong point, you'd know that's not the case." Archibald said, chuckling to himself. "Now then, shall I finish this? Don't worry...dying here will surely bring this location's Divine Spark much nearer. Then waiting for one more will be almost tolerable!"

"Amara...I know we can win this." Seraphina said. "Please don't...lose hope..."

"Your gang can lose gallons of blood, but you still won't lose your precious hope! Hope won't bring back those dear to you!" Archibald chided. "Thor, it's time to destroy all of them, with one last attack. Maziodyne!"

"NO!" Amara called. She shut her eyes, and heard the huge roaring thunder strike the ground with pulverising force. When she opened her eyes, however, she realised she hadn't actually been hit. Neither had the others, for that matter.

Archibald was kneeling on the ground, holding his shoulder. Someone had struck him, and his attack had never even begun. But who...?

"What on earth was that?!" Tara said. "Everyone! Land of Life!" Everyone was healed, and Archibald glared at them - or rather, something behind them.

"Blaine?!" Amara couldn't believe it.

"I've been waiting to battle you for a long time." Other Blaine was standing there, with Tlaloc right behind him. His face was still covered in scars, but his uniform had been replaced with a purple leather jacket that exposed his chest - which also had a scar - and black leggings, with sturdy brown boots.

"No...way..." Dan panted, utterly amazed. "You're not dead..."

"It's him!" Other Amara shouted. "Thank goodness!"

"Is it just me, or do I wear a lot of leather clothing?" Blaine mused to himself.

"You?! How the hell did you get back in here?" Archibald said, standing up. "You were supposed to have died with the Divine Cross!"

Other Blaine just stared right into Archibald's eyes, as he gave him daggers. "You must be growing senile with old age, Archie. You've already forgotten I don't take shit from nobody - even you."

Archibald, stepping back, was enraged. The roar of his energy grew louder and louder, and Thor's energy cannon glowed brighter than the entire Tower itself.

"Silence! I'll have you eliminated right this second! Thunder Canon!" Archibald's eyes flailed wildly as Thor's cannon fired straight at Other Blaine. Amara winced as the supreme power hit him, but Other Blaine simply shrugged. Any other person would have been utterly destroyed, but willpower alone was keeping him alive.

"What's the matter? Run out of steam?" Other Blaine asked. Then, he looked up at Tlaloc, then at the others. "You guys sure are lucky I'm not fighting you anymore, aren't ya?"

"Huh?" Tara asked.

"What are you going to do?!" Archibald asked. It seemed even his strength had gone, as well.

"Something I should have done the day we first met!" Other Blaine proudly exclaimed. "Black Lightning!"

The sheer look of horror in Archibald's eyes said it all. It happened so fast - in the blink of an eye, insanely powerful electricity coursed through Tlaloc and hit Archibald's body. He was unconscious before he even hit the ground, and Thor completely vanished.

"Holy fuck!" Blaine said. "I remember that move! I pulled it off once. The Black Lightning!"

"That kind of power...it's when a Persona reaches their true potential, and the person's will overpowers all." Seraphina said.

Other Blaine, pleased with himself, stepped over, and pointed his gun at Archibald's head. "So much for the almighty Thor. Ten years, and I finally get to do this!"

Amara stood up, as a shiver went down her spine. Was their enemy seriously going to die? Was it okay to let the other Blaine go ahead? No one else seemed to object, but perhaps it was out of fear. Right now, no one else could hope to match that level of power.

Other Blaine fired, but as he did, Archibald's body completely vanished. "What the - fuck! Where the hell did you go, you bastard?!"

Further away, there he was, in the arms of Carlos.

"The hell?" Serena asked.

"Don't bother trying to fight me now. I have no intention of hanging around. I simply came to retrieve my comrade. Now that two people have recovered from the Divine Spark, it seems we need to be more careful of your power." Carlos said. "It was rather impressive, Blaine. And the others, as well. Don't get agitated and swear under your breath - you'll have another chance to fight us later. Farewell."

Carlos and Archibald completely disappeared, and the area became quiet again. Only the whirring of the machines in Lorean Tower could be heard. Other Blaine put away his gun, and glared at the ground beneath him.

"Figures. You guys keeping finding ways to screw me over. Sooner or later, I'll kill of you!" Other Blaine said.

"Hey, you!" Amara said. "Thanks for saving us, but where did you come from?"

"Does it matter? I'm just glad I got here in time. And from now on, I'm sticking with you guys. You're way cooler than those Holy Cross losers, anyway." Other Blaine said.

"Wait a fucking minute. You can't just pop up out of nowhere!" Dan said, marching over. "Tell me the truth, Blaine! Where the fuck have you been?! I thought that Divine Spark thing blew you to pieces!"

Other Blaine, startled, stared away. Dan grabbed his shoulder, and raised his fist.

"Tell me, dammit!" he said, tightening his grip.

"Dan! Calm down!" Kyle said.

"For fuck's sake, you wanted me dead that much?" Other Blaine said. He was angry as well, but he didn't have it in him to hit his former friend. "Okay, when I came too, I was stuck in Inanis. You guys don't know what that is, do ya?"

"Actually, we've known about it for quite a while." Tara said. "We're floating above it as we speak."

"Phew. That makes things easier to explain. Anyway, I couldn't find anyone else, so I was fucking confused. But I found the exit. So then I just walked, as far as I could. I finally collapsed outside the village, and…a woman found me." Other Blaine said. Amara noticed him shake as he mentioned this. Was this woman someone she knew?

"So what happened next?" Nathan asked.

"The woman took me in to her place. I didn't have anywhere else to go, and no one was gonna believe anything I said about the Shadows or the city. I just said I had amnesia, but she didn't believe me. Anyway…well, I finally got well enough and came back here. That's it." Other Blaine said. "What about you?"

"Me? I'm not sure what happened. I was stuck in Inanis too, I think. Then I was back in Farawell." Other Amara said. "Hey, about my dad -"

"You finally got to meet Weiken?" Other Blaine asked. "I had a feeling that crazy geezer knew something about Rudo. Let me guess, Rudo's alive?"

"Yeah. So...I'm sorry. I hated you for so long, but you were just a victim like us..." Other Amara said, eyes on the floor.

"What, are you crying?" Other Blaine asked. "Those bastards did their very best to convince everyone I was the ruthless Commander. They're the ones that should be begging for forgiveness, not you. Come on, look at me." Other Amara raised her head, and she managed to smile.

"We're missing Serena and Nathan. They're out there, though! And we'll find them!" Other Amara said. "And this time, you're helping us!"

"Damn straight. Wait a minute. Are the Holy Cross alright?" Other Blaine asked. "Those idiots...they cowered every time we were together, but they were probably the only thing keeping me sane."

"Well actually, they're all alive. And they're on our side, as well." Aimee said. "There isn't a single natural Persona user still loyal to the Ater Vox! We've got the advantage now!"

"So you got those idiots helping you, then...good." Other Blaine said. "They've still got me to keep them in line. Only this time, I'm gonna work them harder than ever. Who are the new guys, anyway?"

"I'm Zao Yuria! Amara's boyfriend, and the future champion fisherman of the city!" Zao said, smiling.

"I was wondering what that smell was." Other Blaine said. Zao pouted, folding his arms. "Kidding. Nice to meet you, buddy." They shook hands, but Other Blaine shook Zao's arm a little too strongly, judging by his squeals of pain.

"I'm Roger Martin. I never thought Blaine could get uglier, but here you are!" Roger mocked.

"Oh, come on..." Blaine sighed.

"I'm Karen Marshall. It's a bit of a long story, but we're all on the same side now." Karen said, holding out her hand.

"Pleased to meetcha. Let me guess, you and Roger are an item? He's got good taste." Other Blaine said, giving Roger a thumbs up. Roger gave him one back.

"I'm Tara Miller. I was stuck in the village until recently." Tara said. "And...well, you're not as scary as I thought."

"Trust me, appearances can be deceptive. Get on my bad side, and it'll be the last thing you do!" Other Blaine said, flexing his biceps. Tara giggled, and shook her head.

"Um...Blaine. Do you remember me?" Matthew asked.

"No way..." Other Blaine said. "Matthew?!"

Dan came over, and looked into Other Blaine's eyes. It was a tense moment, as Matthew looked at the both of them. For the first time in ten years, all three of them were together. "It's so stupid, isn't it? The only reason I hated you was because I thought Matthew was dead. Don't get me wrong, I loved Kanaloa, but my favourite memories of that place were with him. And you."

"How did he get away?" Other Blaine asked. "That Divine Spark thing destroyed everything it touched..."

"This little idiot ran away from home! Remember? I grounded him because he broke those dinner plates, and he ran upstairs crying and crying and didn't come out of his room. Turned out I left the window open, and he ran all the way to Clairdol. And then the city got sealed off, and he couldn't get back in." Dan said. "You were one troublesome little brother, alright. Good thing Tara was there to keep you in line."

Matthew gulped. He stared at Other Blaine, as tears welled up in his eyes. He was about to say something, but stopped. Instead, he just rushed into Other Blaine's arms, and hugged him as tight as he could.

"H-Hey...take it easy! You know I'm no good at emotional scenes..." Other Blaine said. Matthew just cried and cried, and didn't let go. Other Blaine held him close, and his face no longer had that tired, worn look anymore.

"I think he's crying even more than he did when he met his brother again!" Serena said.

"Actually, I think it's because they're finally together again. They're like - no, they _are _brothers." Nathan said. "It would have been nice to have siblings. Especially if we were as close as they are."

"It's the Kingsley-Spencer bond. It never breaks, no matter how many Shadows get in the way." Blaine said. "If it weren't for those two, I'd probably have just given up on life. But they were my second family."

"Alright, enough crying. You're a big boy now! It's good to finally see you again. I just hope that village was a better place than Kanaloa to grow up." Other Blaine said.

"Not really...I just missed you two the whole time!" Matthew said. "Dan…Blaine…I really missed you! I thought I'd never see you again, but…"

"No need to cry over the past, is there?" Dan said. "I've done plenty of that as it is. Most of us have. But tonight, I've got my best friend and my brother back. Or rather, both brothers."

"I'm happy for all of you!" Aimee said. Amara nodded, as did the others. "We've got a lot to tell you...but it can wait. Right now, we should get home."

"Yes. Well done, everyone. We're going home!" Seraphina said. Aimee's Traesto soon took them away from the tower, and back to the base. The battle was over, and the scars from the fight were clear to see. Yet, the tower still ran, and it's light shone bright.

_Secret Base_

"...And that's all." Amara finally finished. "Two Divine Sparks are left, and Tomas is trying to figure out how to stop them."

"That guy really thinks he can do that? He was pretty weird last time I saw him. He was skulking around headquarters, then he comes up to me and asks for my help." Other Blaine said. "What a weirdo."

"So what happens now?" Matthew asked. "You, me and Dan get to fight together, right? Acolnahuacatl's pretty tough. I'll kick ass, you'll see!"

"Oh, he can. His little tiger thing's pretty quick." Blaine said. "Anyway, it's getting late. I better call Lucy when I get home. She's probably still worried about earlier."

"...Lucy?" Other Blaine asked. Matthew looked concerned, too.

"Yeah, we hooked up after you disappeared. She's my girlfriend!" Blaine said. "We had a bit of a falling out earlier, but I bet she's cooled down by now. All I have to do is talk really low and act as suave as possible, and she'll forget all about it."

"He's on to something, actually. Whenever me and Priscilla have a disagreement, I always find laying on the charm offensive puts an end to it." Nathan said. "...Matthew, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing. I just thought it was something from the village, but there's no way it could be her. This Lucy's from the city, right?" Matthew asked.

"Actually, she's from the states. Why do you care so much? You jealous?" Blaine said, grinning. "Don't sweat it. A guy like you will have the girls crawling at your feet. Just like when me and Dan were your age." _Yeah, somehow I doubt that._

"Nope, not at all! It's nothing." Matthew said.

"...Hey. I'm feeling okay after that fight. I'm going out to look around for a while." Other Blaine said. "I might find Serena. Or Nathan."

"Something wrong, man?" Dan asked.

"Nah. Just let me do what I have to do, okay?" Other Blaine said. "Catch you guys later." Before anyone else could object, he ran through the NDD.

"He's probably just angry that he's still single while you've got this Lucy chick." Dan said, shrugging. "Anyway, you guys go on home. We'll be fine here!"

"Alright. Zao, we're off!" Amara said. Now that Other Blaine was back, things were looking better than ever. His skill was incredible, and to finally have him on their side was a massive victory. Even Archibald couldn't survive his onslaught. Next up, the Divine Sparks. They could come any day now, and when they did, Amara would be ready for them.


	51. Chapter 51: Night of Heartache

**Chapter 51: Summer of Heartache**

_August 18__th__, 2012_

_Nathan and Priscilla's House_

Once again, Tara and Adrian were here. Seeing her so bubbly and cheerful about the wedding brought joy to Nathan's heart, especially when he considered her mood in the other world. There, she had lost the love of her life without realising it. Tonight, Priscilla and Tara were going out for a drink whilst the men stayed in. He had been invited to play some fighting game with Serena and Kyle involving ninja, but he declined. Besides, he was twenty nine in five days. Playing video games with people more than ten years younger wasn't exactly appropriate.

"How was work last week?" Nathan asked. "Still not happy with that band you were working with?"

"Working _with_? More like doing all the work! They can barely sing, but they're a group of rather attractive ladies with different ethnicities. So we just exploit that gimmick and write songs with verses in different languages." Adrian said, sighing heavily. "Oh well, at least the pay is good. As long as me and Tara can have our dream wedding, I don't care what I have to do."

"Adrian, they weren't that bad. Except for that Russian lady. I swear, she's got the hots for you." Tara said. "If she lays one finger on you, she's gonna know what a real Iron Curtain feels like!"

"Haha! Okay then, Tara! I think you better calm down before you scare away the entire group! Right, we're heading out now. You two have fun, alright?" Priscilla said.

"Okay, darling." Nathan said. "Don't get too carried away, now!"

"Relax, Nathan. Remember those nights out when we were at university? We always made it back in one piece!" Tara said. "Come on, Priscilla! The night's still young, and until we're 30, so are we!"

"Alright then. Bye!" Priscilla said. As she and Tara left the house, Adrian relaxed back on his chair, gazing at his reflection in his glass of wine.

"So Nathan...Priscilla was telling us about what your dad's been up to." Adrian said.

"She did?" Nathan said. _I never did tell her to keep it quiet...but I suppose I can trust Adrian and Tara. _"It's just...hard to take."

"I know what you mean. Every time you mentioned him, it was like he was some sort of god. Some perfect man who could do everything and anything, and still have time for his family. I hope I can be like that..." Adrian said. "So have you spoken to your dad about it since you found out?"

"I've mostly avoided him…but if we're in a meeting together, we just get our business done. It's like he's just my employer now…" Nathan said, sighing.

Adrian looked at his friend, and also sighed. "So he slept with another woman. Does it really change everything? It might go against the image of your dad being a loyal husband. But think for a minute. Do you remember graduation?"

"What about it?" Nathan asked.

"Well..." Adrian said, thinking back. "You got a call from him the day before. He said he couldn't come, because he was so busy. Your mother was already with us, because he was so swamped with work."

"Yeah, I remember that. He always was a hard worker, even now. That's one of things I loved about him." Nathan said. "I don't know how my mother could stand it!"

"She told us that she knew when push came to shove, he'd find a way to show his family he loved them. Graduation day came, and you and I were in our robes, looking handsome as ever. The girls looked gorgeous too - Tara had her hair down then. I was annoyed because you guys had first class degrees and I didn't, but even so, I was just happy to be graduating with Tara. You were sad because your dad wasn't there, but when you on that stage, and you looked into the crowd…someone came through the door." Adrian said.

"Dad…" Nathan said.

"That's right! He worked all through the night just so he could have time to catch a plane and head straight to the graduation hall. He was exhausted, but he never let himself fall asleep." Adrian said. "And when you rushed down, he just held you in his arms and told you how proud he was that you had the Albion name. Even I thought it was corny, but it was sort of sweet to see a man go to all that trouble for his kid."

"...Dad really did care about me back then." Nathan said. "That was one of the best days of my life. Dad told me how important it was for the family to have honour and never lose sight of what we stand for." That day, when his father arrived at the last minute to see him…just thinking about it made his eyes water. His father's warm embrace, of pride and honour…that made all those years of studying worthwhile. Nathan had pledged to work hard so he could stand a chance of leading the family one day, and Reginald said he had no doubts whatsoever that he could do it.

"So, Nathan, are you still mad at your dad for something he did over a decade ago?" Adrian asked. "Come on, you two have always been close. It'd be a shame if you didn't make up soon - especially for you. You'd be lost without him!"

"I know, you're right. I'll try and put things right. But Adrian, I thought we planned on having a quiet night in? Let's put aside the emotional stuff for now." Nathan said. He wiped his eyes, and no more tears threatened to come. So many happy memories of his father were rushing back, as if they were yesterday. Ever since he could walk and talk, he was always following his father, trying to emulate the way he spoke. The kind man who fiercely dedicated himself to his family…that was no lie.

"Got it. Looks like I knocked some sense into you anyway. But screw the quiet night in - let's catch a movie!" Adrian said, getting out of his chair. "After all, we're still young! Even after your birthday, you'll still be in your twenties!"

"You're right. We can have our quiet nights in when we're old geezers, like Dad." Nathan said. "I just hope my hair's still red when I'm his age!"

"If not, then I know what to get you for your birthdays!" Adrian said. "I just wonder if they make hair dye that shade."

_Motus Lounge, Farawell_

Another Saturday with Lucy. The atmosphere was a bit frostier than before when he met her at her apartment, especially since she seemed to have forgotten they had plans. But after some insistence from Shirley, Lucy quickly got ready. Despite her irritation that Blaine had no comment on her choice of outfits other than "you look great, babe", she was looking forward to tonight. Perhaps if they found a good bar, she could get him a job. Blaine did always have a way with talking to strangers, and he knew just about every beer and wine in town.

"So what are you having tonight, baby?" Blaine asked, as he and Lucy entered the Motus Lounge.

"I'll just have a gin and tonic." Lucy said, looking around. "Let me get these

The newly opened bar was quieter than the places they usually went together, but that suited Blaine just fine. In fact, everything about Motus Lounge seemed pretty good to him. It was rather nicely decorated with light grey walls, dark wooden floors, and plenty of comfy chairs. Nothing fancy, but Blaine hated tacky places. Thus, the Lounge was a place he could relax.

"Damn, three applications and I still didn't get through." Blaine said. "Those idiots don't know what they're missing!"

"Don't let that bother you tonight. I didn't get ready at the last minute to hear you whining!" Lucy said

"Evening! What can I get you lovebirds tonight?" the man behind the bar asked. He had short, slicked black hair that had a few spikes here and there, bright green eyes, and thick stubble.

"I'll have a pint of Rokaro. Also, get the lady a gin and tonic." Blaine said. "Wait a minute, I've seen you before. Didn't you use to work at The Mole?"

"Yeah, I did. Actually, I owned that place!" the barman said. "I had some damn good times there, but after a while I decide I wanted to start anew. So I sold it and started up this place."

"It's nice here. It's a shame you don't have that many customers..." Lucy said.

"Ah, don't let that bother ya. I'm just starting out here. Let me handle it, and you two just have a good time. Going anywhere special tonight?" the barman asked.

"We're thinking about going to Takanawa for dinner. One of our friends practically insisted we grab some sushi." Blaine said. "Never had raw fish before. So you could say I'm here for some Dutch courage."

"Haha! Sounds like a plan! Trust me, though, it's better than it sounds. Just avoid the wasabi and you'll be fine." the barman said. "I was there with my wife a few weeks back, and we learned that the hard way. We just assumed it'd be like some cool spice you could use a lot of, but..."

"Hey, I've got an idea! Blaine here's trying to find a job, and he said he wanted to be a bartender. You have any places open for him?" Lucy asked.

"Wait a second, Lucy, I'm just trying to relax tonight. Although working here would be pretty sweet." Blaine said.

"Oh, so you think he's got what it takes to handle this job?" the barman asked, with a cocky grin. "Believe me, it's harder than it looks. There's an intricate art to preparing drinks, not to mention chatting with all the customers at the same time. Trying to focus on them both can drive a man insane."

"But you're only talking to the two of us! And Blaine knows a lot about alcohol. He's a man of experience, you know!" Lucy said. "Ask him anything!"

"You're a feisty one. But I like that. Alright, Blaine. Nice name, by the way. Sounds tough, just the kind of guy you don't wanna mess with." the barman said. Blaine chuckled, and wondered what Nathan would say if he heard that. "Tell me what goes in a White Russian -"

"Vodka, Tia Maria or Kahlúa, cream served with ice. Or you could have milk instead of cream. It's a sweet one, so just the right one for Lucy here." Blaine said, putting his arm around her with a silly smile.

"What the - hey!" Lucy said, pouting. "I can handle stronger stuff, you know!"

"Okay, not bad...how about you name me five of our city's native beers?" the barman asked.

"Well, there's Rokaro, which I've been having since I was sixteen. That's Kanaloa for you. Also, Motus Blue, Trident, Leifaro, Vavalon, and Magnum. But trust me, only old guys drink Magnum. That stuff's nasty, but at their age it's the only one strong enough that they can taste." Blaine said. "Also, you don't want too much Motus Blue. Makes your vision blurry and gives you gas."

"Look like you're right. He does know a thing or two." the barman said. "You know what, Blaine? I think I like ya. If you were one of my staff, I'd like ya even more. So you can have the job!"

"What, really? No more questions? I've never worked at a bar before -"

"Don't you worry about that. I'll show you the ropes before you get started. Just show up looking sharp, and be as charismatic as possible. I've got a good feeling about this, I know it! Oh, and my name's Kaman."

"Now that's a cool name. Thanks man, I owe you one." Blaine said. "Just give me a minute, I have to call Dan and tell him the good news!" As he ran off towards the bathroom, Lucy smiled.

"Thank you so much. He's been moaning about not being able to find work all day, and I just wanted him to shut up about it!" Lucy said, grinning.

"Just as well he's got you to keep him in line. Oh, and...you two can have these on the house. Just as long as you come back, of course." Kaman said, as he gave out the drinks.

"With a boyfriend as hot as mine behind that bar, I'd be crazy not to!" Lucy said. Now that Blaine had a job he actually enjoyed, she imagined he'd be much happier. Still, she wondered - what did Blaine do with Amara and the others so much?

_Legarte Harbour_

Dan sighed. With Blaine and Lucy out on another date, he didn't have anyone to chill out with. Bike races had become less and less frequent, but this may be because of Blaine's newfound romance. After all, he had become something of a champion. He briefly considered asking Karl, but not only did he not have his number, he didn't exactly have high hopes Karl would want to spend time with him. After all, he was a young soccer star, while Dan was thirty two and just drove a bus day after day.

He could have hung out with Kyle, but his mother would hardly approve of that. Besides, he was probably at home, possibly playing one of his games with Serena. Gazing at the sunset, he sighed yet again. Being by himself was just unbearable, but he couldn't tag along with Blaine when he was more focused on his lady friend. If only Matthew were here…he'd keep his older brother company on a Saturday night.

"Oh, hello!" a friendly woman's voice said.

"Huh?"

Dan turned around, greatly surprised. It was Shirley, Lucy's best friend. He hadn't seen her for a little while, but seeing her smile at him made his cheeks turn red.

"Oh, hello again! Good to see ya. You're looking good tonight!" Dan said. Of course, he had said this to many a woman, either to get her to date him or during the date itself. This time, he meant it. Dan had quite a fondness for her blue hair, especially the way it curled at the ends.

"Thanks. You look great too!" Shirley said. "So, I take it you're out on your own too?"

"Yep. Blaine and Lucy are out on the town, so it's just me! I'll just have to drink enough for the both of us!" Dan said. "I'm just kidding. Where are you off too?"

"Well, I was just walking along the harbour. Hey, since you're not busy, why don't we go somewhere together?" Shirley asked.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were asking me out on a date!" Dan said, now in good spirits. "I'd love to."

"Okay then, how about you find a place? I always had you down as the bar expert." Shirley said.

"Well…alright. It'll be hard finding a place that's good enough for you, though -"

"You don't have to be such a gentleman! I'm just bored and need something to do. Anywhere you want to go is fine." Shirley said.

"Then let me lead the way!" Dan said. As she followed him, Dan kept looking at the sky. It didn't feel real, that this young pianist was interested in him. Or maybe she wasn't. But if she wasn't, would she have asked him to spend an evening with her?

"What's wrong?" Shirley asked. "You look a bit worried."

"Ah, it's nothing. I just like the sunset." Dan said.

"It is nice..." Shirley said. "So, where are we going?"

"Oh, this place called Steinbeck's. It's pretty good." Dan said. "Here we are!" Right in front of them was the black and white sign, reading 'Steinbeck's'.

"So what kind of place is this?" Shirley asked.

"Just another place guys like me go to have a good time. Nothing extravagant, but the drinks are cheap and no one's trying to pick a fight. So apart from that last bit, it's like anywhere in Kanaloa." Dan said.

"Everyone goes on about how awful Kanaloa is, but you don't seem like that at all..." Shirley said. "Well, at first glance you do look a bit scary."

"Oh, really?" Dan asked. "I'm gonna take that as a compliment. Right, after you." Dan said, holding the door open. The two of them went inside, and Dan was worried. Steinbeck's wasn't the sort of place a woman like Shirley would often go, so if she didn't like it, would that make her think less of him? The minute Dan thought that, he realised something else. Why did that matter so much? Unless...he was falling for her?

"Thank god we got a table!" Shirley said, sitting down.

"Hey, it's you!" a familiar voice said. Karl Davenport, dressed in his finest red shirt. Right beside him was Zao Yuria, who looked quite small when standing next to Karl.

"Good to see ya, man!" Dan said, and he and Karl gave each other a fist bump. "How've you been?"

"I've been better. We had a game yesterday, and it ended in a tie." Karl said, dejected. "God, all the fans were pissed off. Mostly at me, cause I missed during extra time."

"So to cheer him up, I'm taking him out for a night on the town. What about you two? Is it...a _date_?" Zao asked, playfully.

"Uh...no, it's nothing like that!" Dan said, very flustered. "We just bumped into each other, that's all."

"Yeah! We didn't have anything better to do, anyway." Shirley said. "How about you join us?"

"Alrighty! What's everyone having? It's on me…this time." Zao said, cheerful as ever. As he ran towards the bar, Dan stared at him, utterly bemused.

"He's like a little kid." Dan said.

"I think it's kind of cute, really!" Shirley said, smiling.

"That's Zao for you. He's like a bundle of kittens who have just discovered catnip for the first time." Karl said. He sat down, and yawned. "I just wonder where we'll end up tonight. You guys going anywhere after this?"

"Nah, probably not. At my age, I haven't got it in me to go drinking all night." Dan said, sighing. "I just do that every _other _night."

Karl laughed heartily, and grinned. "I always had you down as a good drinking buddy. Maybe you should join me and Zao tonight. We might find a place you haven't been to yet!"

"Well, I'll just take it easy tonight. I'm working tomorrow anyway. Those buses can't drive themselves. If they could, it'd be a low budget horror movie." Dan said.

"Yeah, I want to get some piano practice in tonight too. So Karl, we didn't talk much last time we saw each other. You been playing soccer long?" Shirley asked.

"Since I was a little kid! I must have been about three when I got into it. I couldn't pass a ball without kicking it - and no, that was _not_ a dirty joke." Karl said. "I played for all the school teams, and after leaving high school I got put in the under 21's Saragel team. That was great, but everyone said I was too good for them. So when I finally got into the professional team last year…that was the best. I was finally on the same level as everyone else, and boy did that knock some sense into me."

"What do you mean?" Dan asked.

"I was a cocky little shit who thought he could win games by himself. I discovered that wasn't the case the hard way…the first match was a disaster. My teamwork was lousy, and I kept showing off. But by the second match, I was a lot better." Karl said. "And it's been great since then, apart from matches like last night's."

"Karl's got a little fan club, too!" Zao said, as he came back with the drinks - pints for him, Karl and Dan, and a glass of red wine for Shirley. Dan was amazed he could carry all those drinks at once without spilling any of them. Even he couldn't do that.

"It's not really a club. There's just a few girls who come to the games and cheer me on. Most of them wanting me to sign posters for them. They're not just into me, either, they're really into the game, even giving me advice for next time." Karl said. "Except for that one girl who wanted me to sign her…never mind."

"No worries, I think I figured out what she wanted signed." Shirley said, with a look of disgust.

"How about your fishing, Zao?" Dan asked.

"I didn't do that today. I just spent some time with my grandpa. A few days ago, we found a fishing hook stuck in his beard. It'd been there for over twenty years!" Zao said, bizarrely enthusiastic.

"Oh...that's nice!" Shirley said, quickly giving Dan a sideways look of utter confusion. Dan just shrugged - from what Blaine had told him, Zao was a quirky yet lovable character.

"So...how about some arm wrestling?" Karl asked.

"Huh?" Dan said.

"Well, why not? While we're still somewhat sober, let's test our strength." Karl said. "How about you and Zao go first?"

"Okay! Watch out, I'm tougher than I look!" Zao said, excited. Dan and Zao soon held hands, elbows on the table, ready to begin. "Go!"

It was over in less than a second. Zao's arm hit the table, and Dan barely even broke a sweat. Karl sighed, while Shirley laughed - not too loudly, however.

"Um...I wasn't ready! Let's go again!" Zao said.

"You sure?" Dan said. "Word of warning, these fists have laid waste to many a Kanaloan punk."

And so, the two of them got into position again - but Zao couldn't hold out for more than a few seconds. Dan shrugged, still not even remotely tired. Zao blew on his hand, red from the pain.

"Wow, Zao, I figured fishing all day would have built up more muscles than that. Okay, me next!" Karl said. "I'll put up a good fight, Dan. I go to boxing classes once a week!"

"That so? Let's go, then! The loser has to buy the next round!" Dan said. Karl and Dan got into position this time, but Karl didn't give way at all. Rather, he held on for over five minutes, trying his hardest to overpower his more mature foe. Dan actually felt beads of sweat on his brown, as he struggled more and more to stop Karl's arm beating his.

"This is taking a while!" Shirley said.

"No kidding. Karl's always been tougher than me." Zao said, a little disappointed.

"Damn..." Karl said, as his arm started to quiver. "I can't..."

"You're good, dammit." Dan said, straining harder than ever. "You're not giving up, are ya?"

"Heck no." Karl said. "A real man never quits!"

"That's what I like to hear!" Dan said. Despite Karl's determination, however, he couldn't take any more. Dan slammed his arm to the table, much to Zao's astonishment.

"No way!" Karl said, panting for air.

"That was tough." Dan said. "Guess going to the gym three times a week helps a lot. Good going, buddy."

"The best man won." Karl said, shaking Dan's hand. "I'll have to come with you to the gym next time. I've got a lot to learn!"

"Just say the word, and I'll pass on my sage advice." Dan said. The night went on well, as the four of them laughed, joked, and told stories for over two hours.

"Wow! How long have we been here?" Karl asked.

"About two hours and ten minutes." Shirley said. "You want another round?"

"I dunno, me and Zao were gonna hit a club. Right?" Karl asked.

"Zzz...huh?" Zao said, barely awake.

"I guess not tonight. Let's just stay here and have another round of drinks!" Karl said.

"Fine with me. I haven't had this much fun in ages." Dan said. "Hold on, my phone's ringing…Blaine's probably forgotten his keys. Hello?"

"Dan, guess what!" said Blaine on the other end. "I've got a job!"

"You what?!" Dan exclaimed. "Where?"

"The Motus Lounge!" Blaine said, and Dan could just picture him beaming from ear to ear. Only a few things got Blaine this excited, most of them involving alcohol, women, motorcycles, or a combination of those. "I'm starting next week! You have to come and see me in action!"

"As if you needed to ask. I'll keep you on the right track. Listen, tell me the details later, okay? I'm having fun tonight myself!" Dan said, looking at Shirley.

"What's her name?" Blaine immediately asked. Karl and Zao looked at each other, and exchanged mischievous looks.

"Well if you must know, I bumped into Shirley earlier. She's a really cool lady. And we also met Zao and Karl." Dan said. "I gotta say, those two are like us - when they're together, they're fucking unstoppable!"

Blaine burst out laughing, but then awkwardly stopped. Someone must have given him a dirty look. "Okay, I'll talk to you soon. Have fun…" Blaine said. Dan hung up, and smiled.

"So Blaine's got a new job? That's pretty good. Where is it?" Zao asked.

"Some new place called the Motus Lounge." Dan said. "We'll have to check it out sometime."

"Yes, and we can bring the others as well! Nathan, Priscilla, Amara, Stella, and Lucy!" Shirley said. "I've started to like spending time with you people. Especially you."

"Me?" Dan said, face redder than a tomato. "How come?"

"Beneath those bulging muscles and tattoos, you're a cuddly teddy bear!" Shirley said. "You're nothing like what everyone else says about guys in Kanaloa. We really should do this again."

"Oooh..." Karl said,.

"Don't get the wrong idea, buddy. We're just friends." Dan said. "But yeah, you're right. Next week, we'll have a big night out to celebrate!"

"Celebrate Blaine's new job?" Zao asked.

"Correct! Not only that, but just celebrate being friends!" Dan said. "Drink up, guys!"

_Kyle's House_

"Hello, Serena!" Ms McHale said. "Kyle's been waiting for you. Did you bring the pretzels?"

"Of course! Don't worry, they're from the Healthy Eats range." Serena said. "So what are you up to tonight?"

"The same as usual. Watching the TV, or maybe put on a movie." Ms McHale said. "Actually, before you head on upstairs, I wanted to ask you about something."

"What is it?" Serena asked.

"Well, I was up early this morning and went to use the bathroom, but when I was walking past Kyle's room, I heard him talking in his sleep. Something about a 'Dan' and a 'Matthew'. Are they friends of his at school?" Kyle's mother asked, concerned. "I've never heard of them before, and he sounded a little upset."

"Oh, they're...sort of his friends. It's nothing serious, probably just being a sore loser online." Serena said. "I'll ask him, though. Have a good night!"

"You two - and keep the volume down!" Ms McHale said. Serena quickly ran upstairs, and barged into Kyle's room.

"I should have known you wouldn't knock first!" Kyle said, amused. "So Nathan's not coming?"

"Nope. Shame, he could use some more fun in his life. Okay, he goes to fancy music recitals, but I mean non-pretentious fun." Serena said.

"Oh well…maybe I could ask Dan sometime. Or do you think Mom would find that weird?" Kyle said.

"Maybe a little. He is twice your age!" Serena said. "Besides, our games aren't really his type. Oh, your mom said you were talking about Dan and Matthew in your sleep."

"...Oh."

Kyle, upon hearing Matthew's name, seemed to sink into the floor. Hiding his eyes away, he didn't lift his head.

"Kyle?"

"I had a dream last night. I wanted Dan to go with me somewhere." Kyle said. "But Dan kept saying no. So Matthew said he'd go with me, and Dan didn't seem happy for some reason, and I wasn't happy either, but I went with Matthew anyway."

"That doesn't make a lot of sense. Why would you ask Dan instead of Matthew?" Serena asked.

"I know, it wasn't like me at all. It was like I was another person altogether, but at the same time, I felt like me." Kyle said. "Matthew…why was I annoyed at him? He was the coolest guy around!"

"Dreams are dreams." Serena said. "They're not real, and worrying about them won't make much difference. I don't think Matthew would like it if a dream ruined your memories of him."

"...Ever since you started hanging out with Amara and her gang, you've been saying some really deep things." Kyle said. "You're right. It was a silly dream. Matthew knows I still care about him…and I like Dan, too."

"Amara's just so positive. Even when we're -um, in a bad situation, she finds a way forward!" Serena said. _Please don't make him ask what kind of bad situation -_

"What kind of bad situation?" Kyle asked. Serena didn't have an answer for him, and hesitated._ Shit!_

"Uh..."

"Kyle, did you remember to finish your assignment?" Ms McHale cried out.

"Yes, mom!" Kyle said, glaring at his stack of unfinished school work. "I haven't, actually. But she's too busy watching three men fawn over the same guy to care. Anyway, here we go!"

"Okay! This time, I'll beat ya!" Serena said. Her hand tightly clutching her controller, she was ready for action. Now if only she could pull off some of the moves in this game against the Shadows, she'd easily be the best Persona user in town.

_Alastair's Apartment, Nova Albion_

Alastair Clark had finally moved into his new apartment, and was throwing a housewarming party. Naturally, he invited Bianca, Kazuya and Richard. He would have invited other people, but he wasn't particularly close with any of his colleagues. Richard had chided him for not being especially sociable with anyone other than them, but Alastair really didn't mind. After all, spending time with the others made him feel more alive than anything else.

Sure enough, they all arrived - at the same time. Richard practically shoved Kazuya to the side to gaze at Alastair's new home, and gasped in amazement. The white walls, the hardwood floors, and the trendy modern décor truly fit a man of Alastair's stature - modern, yet classy.

"It's even better seeing it in person!" Bianca said. "Here you go. You'll need something to brighten up your kitchen!" As ever, she handed Alastair a bouquet of flowers.

"They're beautiful, Bianca. I'm glad I bought that vase the other day. With you, I'll never be short of things to put in it!" Alastair said. "Well, don't just stand there. Come on in!"

The four of them sat down on the black leather chairs, Richard making sure he sat on the one with the white cushion. The coffee table was glass and chrome, and despite Alastair only being here for a few days, it was filled with many papers and books.

"Hey, what's this?" Bianca said, looking at a letter written with a lavender felt pen. "Is it from a secret admirer?"

"Actually...yes." Alastair despaired. "It's from a rather devoted girl at a boarding school. She raves about my reviews…as well as my 'debonair' good looks."

"Alright!" Richard said. "Someone's finally got a fan club! I've had a few letters from the team's fans too. They're really cool, even giving my pointers."

"Yes, but none of those fans describe how angelic your hair is. Or how bright and shiny your teeth are." Alastair said, shuddering.

"That reminds me, I need to book that dentist appointment..." Kazuya said.

"All girls that age have their crushes." Bianca said. "That reminds me, you have your eye on another woman at work, right?"

"Well, yes. It's not that Amara lady, though. Nor any of her acquaintances. She's an older woman, about thirty. She's involved in a financial journal. I've spoken to her a few times, and she's very polite, and…I might just invite her for a coffee." Alastair said.

"Everybody's got a name for it!" Richard said.

"Oh, Richard…" Kazuya said. "Don't worry, Alastair. I'm sure she'd say yes. A man like you shouldn't have any trouble impressing her!"

"I hope you're right." Alastair said. "As long as Miss Emma doesn't interfere, everything should be okay."

"She hasn't started sending you locks of her hair, has she?" Kazuya asked.

"I don't know…either she's got really strange green hair or it came off a cushion." Alastair said, staring oddly at the letter.

"That reminds me. I had an odd dream the other day. We were all together as usual, and we were in Nova Albion. But it was dark, and I felt something in me. Some sort of odd power. Something beyond modern technology…at least, I think it was. I remember blue smoke, and weird shadowy things in front of us." Kazuya said. "I must have had too much cheese that night, right?" He shrugged, expecting everyone to laugh. But Richard, Alastair and Bianca all looked rather alarmed. They looked around, equally surprised at everyone's reaction.

"I...had the exact same dream." Richard said, shaking.

"Me as well..." Bianca said. "I was holding a flower in my hand, and some sword in my other."

"I also had that dream. This doesn't make a lick of sense. How can all four of us have the same dream? The only difference seems to be who we were in the dream." Alastair said. Now, he didn't feel like discussing what he was planning to do with the bathroom tiling. If they each had the same dream, did that mean something - or perhaps someone - had influenced their minds while they slept?

"Listen, there's no reason to panic." Bianca said, although from the way she was holding Kazuya's hand, she was already in a state of fear. "I've got an idea. We can get a reading with that psychic in Kanaloa - Stella Cleon. She's supposed to be incredible when it comes to predicting the future. She'd know what's going on!"

"Hold on a second!" Alastair said. "Are you seriously suggesting we venture into that den of inebriety and squalor?"

"There's your first rate education kicking in again!" Richard said. This little jibe seemed to lighten everyone's mood, but it didn't stop them from thinking about the dream.

"We can take care of ourselves. All we have to do is stay together and avoid getting into trouble. No looking at anyone the wrong way, or mocking their appearance." Bianca said, staring at Richard.

"This will be tougher than getting through the market crowds, that's for sure." Kazuya said. "So, that's our plan. We'll go next week. Now then, let's get back to our housewarming party!"

The night went on, as Kazuya soon made beautiful origami swans out of the paper napkins, and Richard spoke about his upcoming game, whilst Bianca greedily ate the smoked salmon. Alastair smiled, and relaxed. At least they were good enough friends to all have the same dream. And whatever happened, they'd stay that way.

_Other World, Clairdol Village, Hanging Knight_

The Hanging Knight was the busiest pub in the village, and for someone like Matthew, it was a prime source for information. Squeezing past the older gentlemen, he reached the bar, where Linda was serving. She looked tired after working the afternoon shift at the café, but happy to see him regardless.

"Hey Linda!" Matthew said. "Thank god it's Saturday, right?"

"Well, it's good for you. Me, I'm rushed off my feet!" Linda said. "Usual, is it?"

"Yeah. Actually, I've got a question for you. Have you seen Lucy lately?" Matthew asked. "Lucy Victoria Crossman?"

"Oh, her? She was a right pain in the arse, she was. Anytime I made her a damn drink, the spoiled lass complained! No one else seems to like her much either, do they?" Linda said. "Listen, you don't want to get involved with a girl like that. She's not happy unless everyone's working to her high standards!"

"I'm guessing you two aren't particularly close. I'm not interested in her like that, and anyone who says I am is full of crap. But have you seen her?" Matthew asked. "Because she's gone missing, and I haven't been able to find anything out!"

"Oh...well, a few days ago, she had a party at her apartment. It wasn't such a bad place, even if the walls were a horrible shade of pink. Anyway, she kept staring at her spare bedroom door the whole time. None of us wanted to be there, but she said she wanted to make friends instead of getting into arguments the whole time. So I went, and she was awful. So fake, so full of crap. All about how much she liked the village! I don't even know why she bothered moving!" Linda said.

"Okay, so what else happened that night?" Matthew asked.

"You never take a break, do you? You're like a cuter Columbo!" Linda asked. "Well if you must know, she went into that spare bedroom. No one else heard it, but I heard a man's voice. A deep man's voice. Not sure what that was all about. It didn't sound like she was on the phone or using Skype…"

_Wait a minute. Didn't Blaine say something about a woman taking care of him? I never heard anything about that. I never saw him, either. He must have been there..._

"Anyway, she came out of the room. She looked upset, tears running down her face. She said that she was tired, and wanted to go to bed. No one else really wanted to stay, so we got out of there as soon as we good. But when I shut the door behind me, I heard her practically wailing." Linda said, rather passive about the whole thing. "Actually, I think the mystery man in the room must have heard us talking behind Lucy's back when she was in the kitchen. We were pretty harsh about her, and he must have told her. What I don't get is, why did she hide her new boyfriend?"

"I don't...understand it either." Matthew said.

"When I looked out my window later that night - must have been after midnight - I saw a man leaving the building. He looked terrible, with all these scars down his face. He had nice hair, though. He was wearing a purple jacket, too. Anyway, he looked up at the window for a few moments, then he just left. I didn't look outside again." Linda said. "So maybe she's been harbouring a criminal. How about that?"

"I don't know..." Matthew said. "Thanks for that. I think I can solve this mystery now."

_Blaine, you idiot! Why didn't you tell us about this?_

Matthew grabbed his pint glass, and sighed. Blaine was something of a heartbreaker even in his younger years…and leaving for the city without telling Lucy was no exception. Now all Matthew had to do was quiz Blaine all about this - and find Lucy. Hopefully, she was still alive...

_The Mole, Shirley's bedroom_

Since most of the 'customers' had fallen asleep by this time, Shirley was in her room, reading a book. It was about two friends, who had been together since they were children, and they made a promise. But something terrible happened to one of the girls, and the other fought night and day to save her friend.

"Lucy..." Shirley uttered. Ever since Lucy had returned to the USA, life had been hell. It was a miracle she survived until now, and playing the piano at night did little to soothe her. Lucy had probably forgotten her completely by now, and Shirley was stuck in this hell. Only one person had managed to make her smile again, and that was Dan.

"Hey, Shirley!" Kaman's voice barked. "You've got someone who wants to see ya!"

"Really?" Shirley asked. She slowly went downstairs, and when she got into the main room, she smiled. There was Dan, standing tall, with a wide and warm smile himself.

"Hey. Didn't think it'd be so quiet." Dan said. "Um...you look good tonight."

"Thanks." Shirley said, her face red. "I was just thinking about you. You're later than I thought you'd be."

"Sorry. I've been busy with...things." Dan said. Kaman gave him a dirty look, and went into the back room. Shirley shrugged, and sat on a stool. "That guy okay?"

"He'll be fine. He's just been really moody lately. Last night, I saw him staring at a picture of him and a woman, and he was actually crying…" Shirley said, sadly.

"Ah, that'd be his dead wife. I forgot her name." Dan said. "That was a long time ago, but he still can't forget about it."

"I know that feeling. There's a person I haven't seen since the Shadows came, too. She's a girl, about the same age as me. We met when she was on vacation." Shirley said. "We were only together for a week or two, but she was a great friend. We played together all the time, even though her parents didn't like her spending so much time with me."

"...Sounds like me and Matthew." Dan said. "When I thought he was dead, I felt empty. Like part of me was gone forever. We were brothers, but I tried to raise him like a father would raise his son. I don't think I was much of a father, but…being his older brother was one of the things I could say I felt proud about."

"He's back now, though. Lucy, however...she's gone for good. She's probably living it up in America now, without a care in the world." Shirley said.

"Don't be so negative!" Dan said, shaking his head. "Listen to me, missy. If you were that good friends, there's no way she wouldn't remember who you are! Don't worry. Once we get rid of the Shadows, we'll be able to get out there and find this Lucy! And she'll remember you, I promise. Your blue hair sticks out a mile!"

"What do you mean, get rid of the Shadows?" Shirley asked.

"Oh...dammit. I'm gonna have to tell you now." Dan said. "Do you know the Ornatu Legion?"

"Of course, silly! They rescued me when the Shadows destroyed my home!" Shirley said. "Are you telling me that you've got a Persona like they do?"

"Yup, and not just me. Matthew's got one too. So do all the guys back at the base. One day, we'll destroy every single motherfucking monster in town! Just leave it to me." Dan said, flexing his arm. "I'm no pushover, me. I can tear a Shadow to shreds in seconds!"

"So you're really..." Shirley stepped back, amazed. "Dan. Why do you keep coming here? You're not like the rest of these drunkards…"

"Well, part of it is paying Kaman back for keeping me safe here. And there's another reason." Dan said, looking directly at Shirley's eyes. "It's...you."

Shirley gasped. Could she really have not noticed? The way he watched with admiration every night she played her songs? Or…was she hoping she was wrong about his feelings? She didn't say anything.

"Shirley, I...I don't wanna be that awkward boy in school who can't tell his crush he likes her. So I want to say it flat out. Every time I meet you, I just feel like there are no Shadows - only me and you." Dan said, his voice cracking. He had confessed his feelings to women plenty of times before, but none of those ladies compared to Shirley. "I'm not sure if you feel the same way, but...I love you."

"...Love?!" Shirley shouted. "You _love_ me?!"

"Yeah. So when we defeat the Shadows, you and I can go find Lucy together." Dan said, putting a hand on Shirley's shoulder. She froze on the spot, and gulped. "Listening to you play that piano made me realise - even if we have to live in a world like this, we can still find happiness somewhere."

"Dan..." Shirley said. "I'm sorry! I can't be with you!"

"What?!" Dan asked. "Why? I'm not asking for anything much. Please, give me a chance! I'm probably not your type, but-"

"Please, just go! I can't...I can't do it!" Shirley shoved Dan away, and ran up the stairs. Dan, crestfallen, bit his lip. Matthew had told him to just be forward with his feelings. Until today, he didn't realise how special Shirley was to him. But now he had ruined everything, and she didn't want anything to do with him.

"Dammit!" Kaman stormed back into the bar, and he was furious. "Fuck! Stupid phone isn't working! Never mind, what can I get - Where'd Shirley go?"

"She's in her room..." Dan said. "Sorry, man, but I have to go."

"What the - already?! What did you do?" Kaman asked. He was rather agitated, unlike his usual self. "Wait a fucking minute. You're in _love_ with her, aren't you?"

"...Got it in one." Dan replied, his eyes watering. "But I guess she just didn't feel the same way..."

"Ah..." Kaman said. "Guess you're not so lucky after all."

Dan didn't know what to say. Without another word, he stormed into the NDD, and once he was in the secret base, he immediately rushed into his room. His door nearly flew off the hinges from the force he slammed it with. The tears came from his eyes, and they wouldn't stop. To think he would be crying like a baby over a girl...no other woman had made him feel this way. Why, though? Why did Shirley turn him down like that? Was she afraid of him after all? Even if she didn't love him back, Dan could have taken that. But the way she ran away in horror...that sank deep into Dan's eyes, even when he shut his eyes. "I'm such an idiot...chasing after a girl when I'm supposed to be fighting..."

"Dan?"

It was Blaine's voice voice. Of course...running into his room like that would have alarmed him.

"Yeah? What do you want?" Dan asked.

"Can I come in?" Blaine asked.

"Sure..." Dan said. The door opened, and Blaine was there. He walked in, and looked up at Dan's tear stricken face. "...Did you need something?"

"No, you dumbass! But when you run into your room like that, I get worried about you! What happened? Did you screw things up with Shirley?" Blaine asked.

"...Yup. I thought we had something special. But now I'll never get to listen to her songs again..." Dan said, wiping his eyes. "Kyle, what did I do wrong? All I did was tell her how much I loved her..."

"You never had much luck with women, did you? That's a damn shame..." Blaine said. "But you're one of - no, _the _coolest man I know. She'd have to be an idiot to turn you down!"

"You think so?" Dan said. "I'm not so sure about that..."

"Trust me. Every time we talk about you, it's about how great you are. Kyle raves about how strong you are, Priscilla was really impressed with that fight you were helping her with, and Aimee said she trusts you dearly. You _are _awesome." Blaine said. "It's not your fault, Dan. These things happen."

"The way you're talking, it's like we've never been apart!" Dan said. "Dammit, Blaine! I love ya, you bastard!" Without warning, he wrapped his arm around Blaine, and held him as tight as possible. "I guess...since I've got you and Matthew back, I don't need Shirley, huh?"

"Well...you deserve all the happiness you can get." Blaine said. "Especially after all you've been through. Me...I know what you're going through, buddy. I've had a lot of bad breakups. You remember those, of course."

"Thanks, Blaine. But I want to be alone for a little while. I'll be fine later on." Dan said, eyes still flowing with tears. "Don't worry, I'll be ready for those Shadows!"

"You better be! See ya, then!" Blaine said. He left the room, and Dan laid back on his bed. A thought occured to him...Shirley beside him. It wasn't a particularly dirty thought - unlike most of Dan's - but rather, it was about how nice it would have been to wake up every morning with her next to him. Dan took a heavy sigh, and shut his eyes. At least he had his best friend back. No longer would he dedicate himself to hating him - rather, he was grateful Blaine was there when he needed him.

_Aeternus Headquarters, Special Lab_

"What are you up to?" Rudo asked Tomas, who was tinkering with a display.

"Ah, I'm glad you're here. There's something I'd like to discuss with you. Have you felt any pain or discomfort since you fused Nebiros to yourself?" Tomas asked. "I myself am having a little...issue with Belial."

"As a matter of fact, I sometimes hear voices. Not often, but whenever I'm about to summon him, I'll hear a man's voice. I can never understand what he's saying, but I think he was calling out for someone." Rudo said, and he suddenly became horrified. "Damn! I forgot. Our Personas aren't made from our own memories! They're from other people's! And…we're hearing their thoughts during their last moments..."

"Oh, Rudo. Don't think about it too much. They're not ghosts that can take over your body. And if they pose a risk, I have plenty of medication to combat any such symptoms." Tomas said. "I have everything covered. Also, about the Divine Sparks, I believe I have an idea. We'll assemble everyone when the time is right. In the meantime, I want to do more 'research'."

"Research?! Tomas, you better not get caught! If Archibald figures out you're double crossing him, we're doomed!" Rudo said. "They arranged for my death for a reason, you know!"

"Yes, a reason that is entirely moot by this point. Worrying about it would do you no good, especially with you hearing voices. Don't you think getting your daughter worried would be the exact opposite of what we want?" Tomas said. He switched off the display, and turned to the NDD. "You'll stay here for the time being. Don't go anywhere without my say-so."

"That's exactly what I've been doing since we got here. I've done everything you've said. I just hope we get some results, otherwise I don't think I can stand it here anymore!" Rudo said.

"Are you done whining? Pull it together! I told you not to worry, so shut up and go read a book or something!" Tomas yelled. "Now then, I'm off. Bye!"

Rudo sighed. Without Tomas here, the nights were long, and dull. If only Amara would come here more often, then he could manage the tedium and monotony of the long days.

"Dad!"

Right on cue, Amara ran in, and hugged Rudo. Beside her was Seraphina, who seemed happy to witness a father and daughter embracing each other.

"I'm glad you're here, Amara. Rudo's gone to do some research, and he'll be away all night. Please tell me you're staying a while..." Rudo said.

"I will. Oh, I brought something for you! It wasn't easy, but I found some art supplies around town. Look!" Amara said, holding up a folded sheet of paper. Rudo took it, and when he saw what was on it, he smiled.

"Oh, Amara. You still have that talent." Rudo said. He wiped away a tear, as he held it in front of his eyes. Amara had drawn a meticulous picture of the Egyptian goddess Isis, capturing every inch of her beauty and power.

"Lady Amara is a wondrous artist, is she not? I bared witness to her labouring over that drawing for many hours!" Seraphina said. "Today...I sensed disturbances."

"...In the force?" Rudo asked.

"Not quite. What I mean is...something odd is happening. It could be new Persona users, or it may be the machinations of the Ater Vox. Whatever it might be, it is something bothersome..." Seraphina said, deep in her own thoughts. When she started heavily thinking, she looked like she was in her own world. "The hidden inner voice of the mind...what oracle are you trying to convey? What words are being drowned out by the shadows?"

"Is she always like this?" Rudo asked.

"Yeah, but you get used to it after a while." Amara said. "She's pretty funky, but I actually find her fun to be with. I just wish there was another Zao..."

"Oh, you like that oddball? He does seem to be rather special to your other self. No wonder you feel this way! Even if you two spent the last ten years very differently, when it comes down to it, you're still the same person." Rudo said. "If the other Zao is around, he'll be the exact same."

"Well, it doesn't matter right now. Do you have a plan for the Divine Sparks or not?" Amara asked.

"Tomas is researching that this very moment. I think he knows what to do, but he needs more information." Rudo said. "Don't panic. We can do this. And even if I don't have the same power you do, I'll support you any way I can."

"Thanks, daddy!" Amara said, and she gave her father another hug. "I know we can win! Aeternus are going down!"

"Yes, I hope so too. My only regret is sending my daughter off into battle - even if it's by her own free will."

_Saragel, Abandoned Stadium_

Carlos Nadal stood outside the stadium doors. The place had been swarming with Shadows, so he came to effortlessly slay them all. That ought to improve his reputation in the city, he thought. Those measly people were complaining about the 'freakish accidents' that had occurred lately. They hadn't claimed any lives directly, but the Shadows around there were increasing. He had bigger things to consider, however. The return of the Commander was one of them. Right now, he was wandering the city, fighting the Shadows as he always had. Except now, he was fully against them. Not that it mattered - with his allegiance to Aeternus broken, he lacked the ability to sabotage their plans.

"No! Stay away!" a female voice screamed.

Carlos looked up, and shuddered. There was a truly fearsome Shadow nearby. He supposed he might as well eliminate it, and have the pesky girl run home where she belonged. Reacting quickly, he ran towards the noise - and there it was. A large Maya Shadow, with a Chariot mask. He hadn't encountered one this size before…

The girl in front of it was a short, fair-skinned lady with busy brown hair, with eyes to watch. She had fingerless gloves, and a long brown coat. In her hands was a pistol - one that looked issued by a police department. She tried to aim at the Shadow, but her hands were shaking too much. She couldn't pull the trigger at all…her fingers kept slipping. Carlos could practically hear her heart pounding.

"Madam, stand back." he said. "You're not going to be able to harm that Shadow. I'll wipe it out."

She continued to stare at the Shadow, the colour drained from her round face. _Pathetic. She's too frightened to even hear me. Even so, I probably shouldn't leave her to die._

"H-huh?!" the woman suddenly screamed. "What is this?!" She collapsed to her knees, dropping the gun to the ground. The Maya reached forward, and it's hand formed from ooze swung at her with ferocious force. It probably would have killed her, but something happened.

"Per...so...na!"

A burst of blue smoke emanated from her body…and another figure had risen from that smoke.

"Incredible!" Carlos said.

**I am thou. Thou art I. I cometh from the sea of thy heart. I am Inanna, the lady who declares war on enemies and shows true love to her comrades.**

Inanna truly was a lady of war. Her red skin complemented her scarlet hair and her dark red gauntlets and armoured boots. She also had a black and orange corset, and a belt adorned with a skull emblem. Her pink eyes were resolute, and in her left hand was a mighty axe. Grasping her weapon, she rushed forward at the Shadow, slashing it repeatedly. Each blow sent black gelatinous 'blood' flying, and even it's mask was starting to crack.

"What is this thing?!" the woman cried. She managed to stand up, glared at the Shadow, and clenched her fist. "You freak! I'm going to kill you for sure! Take THIS!"

Inanna's body twirled with a flirtatious gait, and a crimson flame burned beneath the Maya. With this, it succumbed, and disintegrated. Inanna disappeared, and the young madam stared at her hands in amazement.

"Inanna...you saved me! You took your freaking time!" she yelled. "From now on, next time I need saving, you'd better get here faster!"

"Well done." Carlos said. "You truly have the potential. That power, Inanna. It isn't actually a separate being. Rather, she is formed from your own psyche."

"What? I'm not a psycho! Who are you, anyway?" the lady asked.

"I'm Carlos Nadal. I'm from Aeternus. We could use people like you in our plight to eradicate the city's infestation of Shadows." he said, holding out his hand. "I myself have the same power as you - and I can feel your inner strength. It radiates from you, just like your beauty."

"Uh, whatever. What the heck is Aeternus?" she asked. "What happened to this city, anyway?"

"Ah...You must be from Clairdol village, then. Interesting. I've got an idea. Follow me, and me and my colleagues will fill you in on the entire situation." Carlos said.

"Alright then. I'm Lucy Crossman. It's nice to meet you. Just one question - did you see a guy with a ton of scars down his face?" Lucy asked. Carlos looked at her, with a rather sinister grin.

"Oh, yes I did. I have much to tell you about him, too."


	52. Chapter 52: Blue Seas

**AN: **I hope you enjoy this chapter, everyone. Fifty two chapters in, and we're still not done with this story. Please, everyone who's reading, continue to follow this story. Reviews are much appreciated!

* * *

**Chapter 52: Blue Seas**

_August 19__th__ 2012_

_Stella Cleon's Psychic Parlour_

"Zzzz..."

Stella was sitting at her table, fast asleep. She had been performing divinations all day yesterday, most of them rather mundane matters such as "Will I get that promotion?", "When will we get married?", and "What should I make for dinner?". It was rather like when she had to perform readings for Priscilla Lancaster - utter tedium. There was no fun in it anymore. The only time she felt her psychic powers were truly a blessing lately was when she was aiding Amara in her struggles.

Just that moment, she heard someone knocking at the door.

"Ah! Who's there?" Stella asked, startled.

"Excuse me! Are you open?" a female voice said.

"Yes! Come on in!" Stella said. _Another boring reading..time to get it over with._ Once she had done that, she could finish early today and hang out with her mother. The door opened, and in came four people. They were the Holy Cross, the people she bowled against not so long ago. "Oh, it's you! How are you all?"

"We're doing alright." Alastair said. "You played well. We should do it again sometime. I suspect that was down to Karl's leadership, however."

"Yeah! But we've got something really spooky to talk to you about! And it's REALLY cool, too! Super freaky!" Richard said. "Now…damn, there's only two chairs we can sit on!"

"Relax, Richard, we shouldn't need to sit down for too long." Kazuya said. "Forgive him, Miss Cleon. He's quite impatient."

"Call me Stella. Now, what is this 'something spooky' you want to tell me about?" Stella asked.

"The other night, we had a dream. All of us had the exact same dream. It wasn't any old dream, either." Alastair said. "It was bizarre. We were in the city, but it was dark, and no one was around. All four of us were there, and there were strange shadows all around us. But we felt strange...like we had something inside of us."

Stella's face went white with horror. Amara had told her many things, but Stella had never born witness to any of them. However, she did know someone with her step-mother's name was her alter ego - Seraphina. When she used her power, it felt like she could remember things from the other world. But Alastair and his friends each had the same dream, subconsciously recalling battles from another world. How could she explain this to them? It turned out that the Holy Cross had survived the Divine Spark, and were now no longer willing to aid Aeternus with their evil schemes. Getting their selves in this realm involved was out of the question - she had to think of something.

"Are you alright, Stella?" Bianca asked. "Do you know what's wrong with us?"

"Oh...there's nothing wrong, exactly." Stella said. "It turns out that in your previous lives, the four of you were friends." Stella never had to lie before, but if she told the truth, Amara and the others would face the consequences. It was hard enough with five of them heading into the other world every other night. "In those past lives, you met as children. You had active imaginations back then - not just Richard."

"Hey! What's that implying?" Richard asked, confused.

"Well, Richard, you can come up with some _odd_ ideas sometime. Like how you would make popcorn." Kazuya said.

"It was four in the morning! Did you really expect me to think things through?" Richard said.

"Even so, you don't normally make popcorn with sweet corn…" Bianca said.

"Anyway, the four of you had a fantasy. You would have the gift to summon creatures to fight monsters that hid in the shadows." Stella said, racing her mind for ideas. "The story you all had was…that you would one day save the city from chaos. But as you grew older, you lost sight of your fantasies, and grew apart. And now in your new lives, you're finally together again."

Bianca gasped. "Are you sure, Stella?"

"My inner eye never lies." Stella said. "The bond between you four broke once before, long ago. Now it is restored, firmer than ever. You may no longer have ideals about fighting evil, but as adults you still share everything. That is why you each had a dream of the past - to remind you of those happy days, still within your memories."

"Wow...then I guess we really were meant to be friends." Alastair said. "Stella, we were afraid something was wrong, that we were going crazy. Or something really bad was going to happen."

"There's no danger of that. If you have any more of these dreams, then that's another sign of your unbreakable new bond. Remember, at the end of the day, you four are together. No matter what happens." Stella said.

"Alright then! Well, if that's all it is...let's hit the beach!" Richard said.

"Are you serious?" Kazuya asked.

"Well, it is a nice day, and I'm not so worried anymore, thanks to Stella." Bianca said. "Oh, do we owe you for this session?"

"Not at all. You weren't here for very long, anyway. Besides, all I had to do was interpret odd dreams. If you were looking for a full session on what to expect from the future, then we might be talking payment." Stella said.

"Oh, sweet! Then can you tell me about my future?" Richard asked.

"You just said you wanted to hit the beach!" Kazuya said. "Make up your mind!"

"Well, I was planning to close up early today. Perhaps next week, if any of you want a full session, come during the night. Remember, I have another job during the day." Stella said.

As the four of them left, Stella gulped. Should she inform Amara and the others about this? She reached for her phone, but hesitated. She didn't know if she intended to travel to the other world today. Instead, she should try to tap into the future of that world. Crossing the dimensional barrier with her mind...it was a huge strain on her body, but she could do it.

Just before she could focus, however, her phone rang. It was her mother - the real Stella.

"Hey mom..."

"Hello, Sophie. Are you still coming today?" her mother said.

"Of course I am!" Stella said. "I just need a chance to change wigs, then I'll be on my way."

"Is it so no one recognises you?" her mother asked. "That was the whole reason you put on the Stella Persona in the first place - so no one knew you were that bald girl from school."

"That's in the past, mother. I am not that girl anymore. To everyone except you and Seraphina, Sophie is dead. I'm Stella Cleon now. And the wig I'm going to wear today won't look like anything 'Sophie' wore." Stella said.

"Alright. Please just don't forget who you are. Also, don't have too much sugar today. I worry about you, you know." Stella's mother said.

"Okay. See you later, mom." Stella said. It had been quite some time since she had been outside without her Stella Cleon get-up. It had proven quite an effective disguise - most people thought she just dyed her hair and eyebrows. No one knew the truth except the two people she trusted the most - her mother, and the real Seraphina. The fact that her other self chose that moniker was testament to her deep affection.

When she left the shop, she made sure no one saw her emerge from the door. She had a red short wig on, that was styled with a few curls near the ends. As she began to walk towards the coffee shop her mother recommended, she saw a man staring at her on the opposite side of the street. Blaine Spencer. Thankfully, he quickly looked away and turned to his motorcycle, swearing under his breath. From the sounds of things, his precious Black Lightning needed repairs again.

"No one can know who I was...no one. I am not that bald girl anymore! And I never will be again!" Stella said to herself.

_Saragel, Richmond Park_

The Richmond Park, while not as beautiful as Aurelia Park, was still a popular venue in Saragel. Karl came here regularly to practice, sometimes with his team, sometimes alone. Today, he was all by himself, but not for practice. Rather, he felt like going for a run. There was a major tournament in the city coming up, and every team in the city was going to take part. This would be the first time Karl was in a time that could participate, and he wanted to be as good as possible. After all, if his team won, he'd go down in the city's history - and his skills might be acknowledged worldwide. To have posters of him on bedroom walls, like his idols...it seemed too good to be true.

"Hey, you there!" a teenage boy said, running up to him. "You're Karl Davenport, right?"

"Yes, that's me! What can I do for ya?" Karl asked.

"Dude, you're awesome! You're fantastic! The team would be nothing if it wasn't for you!" the boy said. "So can I get your autograph?"

"You sure can, buddy!" Karl said. This wasn't the first time he had been asked for his autograph, but it was hardly an everyday occurrence. The boy seemed pleased, and the two of them shook hands.

"Oh yeah, you guys better win The Motus Siegfried Cup!" the boy said. "So if you're here to train, get to it! Make us proud!"

"Oh, don't worry about that. I'll be ready for that tournament, and we'll thrash every team that gets in our way!" Karl said. With that, the boy left, still excited about Karl's signature. Thus, Karl was free to begin his training - running laps around the park. He had more stamina than most of this team mates, so it took until the twelfth lap for him to feel tired. Finally, after sixteen laps, he sat down, covered in sweat.

_Phew...gotta get better than this...I'll need all the energy I can get..._

As he took a long drink from his water bottle, he stared at the blue sky. The sun was bright, it's rays beating down on his face. Looking back at the park, he saw two people kissing by the water fountain. The sight of them started to make his blood boil - and it took him a moment to realise why.

"Amara..."

When they first became a couple, he and Amara had a lot of fun together. While they both loved partying in Saragel's hottest clubs, there was something to be said about lazing about on the sofa, listening to music, and sitting close to each other. Then, after that charity dance night, his feelings grew even stronger. This was the one - at least, that's what he told himself. And he couldn't let anything happen to her. That was when the first of his bouts of paranoia happened.

On a rainy night, Amara was late to the restaurant they were supposed to have dinner at. Karl panicked, and called her phone many times - seventeen, to be exact. When she finally arrived, she was beyond frustrated at him. She couldn't answer the phone because she was so focused on getting ready for the evening, and when she saw just how many calls she had missed, she was stunned. Karl tried to apologise as much as he could, but the evening was just too awkward to be the perfect evening he intended.

This type of event started becoming more frequent. Karl could never explain it - why did he get so worried about Amara? It was like if he took her eyes off her for one minute, someone or something would take her away from him. And she was the woman he loved, more than anyone in the entire world. Being with her made him truly happy, and losing that joy would make his life empty. But there was no reason to believe anything _would _happen. Finally, Amara told him that if he ever got clingy or protective again, that was it. She couldn't take anymore. Karl promised he'd change, and as the year of 2011 ended, everything seemed promising for them.

Then, it happened again. Amara had vanished in the crowd whilst the two of them were out shopping, and she was nowhere to be seen. Karl couldn't keep his dark inner thoughts quiet. What if Amara gets mugged? What if I'm not there to save her? So when he finally saw her, simply having a phone call with her father, he went berserk. His screaming made everyone nearby look at him as if he was a total loon, and by the time he was calm, he realised what he had just done.

Amara told him to go home, tears running down her eyes. Not only was she upset, she was disappointed. She was convinced Karl could change, but he had only shown he was exactly the same. He ran home, and when they met the next day, Amara told him the words he feared she would say.

"It's over."

Since then, Karl had tried his best to forget about it. But it was impossible. Now, several months later, Zao Yuria had contacted him. Karl thought meeting up with him again would cheer him up, and it had. But the fact was, Zao was Amara's new boyfriend. And whenever Karl saw them together, he couldn't stand it. The only thing that stopped him from snapping was seeing the two of them so happy.

"Excuse me, um...sir?"

Karl looked to the right, and saw a teenage girl, who was blushing intensely.

"Yeah?"

"Um...can I have your autograph?" she asked, her eyes struggling to keep contact with his.

"Of course, madam!" Karl said. As he signed his name for the second time today, he realised something. Now was not the time to mope around about his love troubles. Now, he had to get his body ready for that tournament, and pull all the stops.

_Legarte Harbour_

Zao was sitting at the end of the pier, watching the ships sail off to their destinations. They were all going to somewhere faraway, no doubt. When he was young, he never imagined wanting to see other places. In his eyes, the city had it all. Now, he did understand the temptation to travel, but he still never felt it. The sparkling blue seas surrounding the city, even if he did see them every day, still made Zao proud to call himself a citizen of Motus.

"You here again, little minnow?" a gruff, yet kind, voice said.

"Grandpa!" Zao said, looking up at the older man standing over him. It was his grandfather, Deo. He had the look of a sailor on him, with a large white beard and a weather-beaten face. He didn't bear much resemblance to Zao, except for those ocean blue eyes. Despite nearing seventy years of age, he still kept on going, the sea luring him in.

"You work here every day! Don't you have a lady friend to hang out with?" Deo asked.

"I...well...no, she's busy with her father today." Zao said, looking back at the sea. "But don't worry, grandpa, you'll get to meet Amara soon!"

"I'm looking forward to it. That pretty lass reminds me of your old grandmother, you know. Especially the way she smiles when she's near you!" Deo said. "Then again, you're always smiling, you darn numbskull. How do you stay so cheerful?"

"It's the Zao way of life! Each day is worth a smile, but every good day is worth a thousand!" Zao said, beaming. "Anyway, I'm hanging out with Amara tonight. We're probably just going to catch a movie." _Well, actually we'll be fighting monsters in another dimension. But that's close enough!_

"Alrighty then. I'm heading down to Clairdol today, so you take care of that lady! And yourself!" Deo said, wandering off. Zao turned back to the waves crashing by the harbour, and sighed.

"Friends to hang out with? Yeah right..." Zao said, sadly. Ever since he and Karl had lost touch, he had never much luck with making new friends. No one else his age had the same interests. Granted, neither did Karl, but they were so close back then. The whole time, Zao wanted to see Karl and Aimee again. No one else was as special to him. And his parents weren't particularly supportive, either. They never did approve of Karl's rough housing. While they would gasp at the scrapes on Zao's legs, he would just smile and tell the stories of how he got them, all involving 'adventures' with Karl.

Aimee...she was gone now. That little girl, always trying to join in with her older brother. Zao had quite a soft spot for her, even though she was four years younger than him. When she was six, and he was ten, the two of them were all alone, waiting for Karl to get out his toys.

"Zao?" Aimee asked. "Mommy put my hair up in a ponytail today? Do you like it?"

"Yeah! You look just like a princess!" Zao said.

"Yay! You're like a prince, too!" Aimee said. "One day, you and I will be King and Queen! Then we'll make the Kingdom of Zao the happiest place in the world! Oh, but Karl gets to be, um..."

"Oh, he can be Duke!" Zao said. "I'm not sure what a Duke is, but they're really important!"

"Okay then! Then let's get to work on building the kingdom! Those bricks over there would look great on our castle! And the blue bricks will be the moat!" Aimee said. Zao and Aimee giggled, gleefully putting together their fairytale castle. Finally, when Karl arrived, they had constructed a moat made mostly of blue bricks, with a couple of greens.

"What's this?" Karl asked, football in his hands.

"Me and Zao are making our castle! One day, we're going to rule the Kingdom together, and I'll be the prettiest queen ever! But you can be our Duke!" Aimee said.

"Duke? What's that?" Karl said.

"It means...you're important too!" Zao said. "Someone's got to protect the King, right?"

"Leave that to me! Now come on, we're off to the backyard!" Karl said. The three of them ran off, leaving their castle unfinished.

That day, however, the news came. Aimee and Karl's parents were moving to Saragel, and despite the children's desperate pleas, they refused to change their minds. Zao held a tearful Aimee's hand, and whispered something in her ear.

"I'll come back one day! We will make our Kingdom, I promise!"

It was 2012 now. That Kingdom would never be built, not without it's Queen. At least, that's what he thought at first. But Amara had been the one to finally take his thoughts away from the past. Perhaps now she was the Queen. The Kingdom lived on, in his memories, forever. And he wasn't going to let Karl get away again, either.

"Aimee, wherever you are, don't worry. The Kingdom of Zao's still around!"

_The Other World, Secret Base, 8:03 pm_

"Evening, all!" Aimee said.

"Hello!" Zao said. "What's happening, everyone?"

"Well, Seraphina's told us that Tomas wants to have a group meeting. Good news, I hope!" Priscilla said. "Also, she said something strange to me earlier. Something about me finding strength, somewhere. What could that mean?"

"Maybe you really get into weight lifting?" Zao said. "Because that'd be kind of cool!"

"No thank you, Zao. That's not the kind of strength I need." Priscilla said. "The things this boy says..."

"Well, that's Zao for you!" Amara said. "So when are we meeting Tomas and my dad?"

"Sixteen minutes and eleven seconds." Seraphina said. "Which is exactly enough time for Dan to grab three cans of beer from the fridge, Aimee to tell him off for drinking before an important discussion, Kyle to brag about his computer prowess, Roger to show off his own, Serena to fill a bowl with pretzels, and -"

"We get it, we get it." Amara said. "A lot could happen in sixteen minutes!"

"Since Seraphina brought it up..." Dan said, gazing towards the kitchen.

"No." Aimee said, shaking her head.

"Aww..." Dan pouted.

"Next time, Dan." Matthew said. "You can come out with me some night at the village."

"Guys, shut up! We need to concentrate on what's going to happen tonight. Tomas probably has news on how to get rid of the Divine Sparks. We shouldn't be messing around!" Tara said. "Ugh!"

"...And she's getting married in the other world?" Blaine quietly said to Nathan. Thankfully, Tara didn't hear this comment. Nathan simply nodded.

_Sixteen Minutes and Eleven Seconds later…_

"Okay, we're off." Seraphina said. "On your feet, everyone!"

"Alright!" Zao said. "We're gonna save the world tonight!"

"Hold your horses! It might take longer than that!" Matthew said. Zao took no notice of this, and when the NDD was powered up, he darted towards it. Seraphina quickly stopped him, holding up her ID.

"Did you forget, you incompetent clamshell? Entry to the secret lab is barred without me going first!" Seraphina shouted. "If you were to force entry, Aeternus would be able to locate us and destroy our base!"

"...Sorry." Zao said, shaken. "Ladies first, then."

_Aeternus Headquarters, Lab_

"Hello, everyone." Alastair said. "Good to see you all."

"Likewise." Nathan said. "How have you been keeping?"

"Well, we've been trying to get back into the groove of things. So we've been kicking all sorts of ass!" Richard said. "The Holy Cross reigns supreme!"

"Yeah. Except you still never beat us." Blaine said, grinning.

"We never did fight four on four, though. Someday, though, we'll prove our strength!" Kazuya said.

Tomas entered the room, and he looked exhausted. His eyes were bloodshot, and there was something odd about his facial expression. He smiled at the sight of everyone there, and nodded.

"Wonderful! With this many people here, I won't have to end up repeating myself." Tomas said. "Now then, let's get down to business. You all know about my on-going research into the Divine Sparks, correct?"

"Have you learned anything new?" Other Amara asked.

"Yes, many things. The power of Persona is truly tremendous! It has infinite potential, just like humanity! Of course, a Persona and a person are one and the same, merely different sides of each other. The collective unconscious is wide, but still connected!" Tomas raved, gesturing towards a picture on the screen. It was of a planet, and various 'cards' - around twenty one of them. Each of them had a name - Fool, Magician, Priestess, and so on, all the way to Judgment.

"What are the Tarot cards doing on the screen, Tomas?" Serena asked.

"Tarot cards? The heck are those, Greek postcards?" Blaine said.

"You stupid oaf! Tarot cards are common fortune telling implements! In a deck, there are 22 Major Arcana, each symbolising different aspects of human nature. Each of you has an Arcana that represents them on a psychological level. For example, Zao, you are the Fool." Seraphina said.

"Why is everyone picking on me today?" Zao said, annoyed.

"...No, the first Arcana, numbered zero, is called The Fool. Try and pay attention." Seraphina said. "Our Personas also have that Arcana, which emanates throughout their entire being. Likewise, every Shadow has an Arcana - albeit, in the reverse position. They take the Arcana, and represent the negative aspects of it."

"You're very smart, young lady!" Tomas said. "However, the twenty second Arcana belongs to no individual. Rather, it is the ultimate Arcana - the World! It's unlimited power will grant us the power to alter reality, and dispel all the evil Aeternus has wrought upon our planet!"

"So how do we get access to this Arcana?" Dan asked. "Does it involve combining our powers?"

"That's right!" Tomas said, excitedly. "Look at this!" On the screen, pictures of the group started to appear next to the Arcana. Amara's face was right next to The Sun, and she thought back to what Stella told her. Likewise, Nathan's was Strength, Serena's was Moon, and Blaine's was Magician. Seraphina was Priestess, Priscilla was Empress, Kyle was Hermit, and Dan was the Hanged Man. Karen was Tower, Roger was the Emperor, Matthew was Judgment, and Tara was Temperance. Finally, Aimee was the Star, and Zao was the Fool.

"Me? The Fool? But why? Am I that much of an idiot?" Zao whined. Amara couldn't tell if he was pretending to be sad or not. No one answered that question, and Tomas continued his lecture.

"Now then...by combining your energies, we can greatly affect the Divine Sparks. However, without a full 'deck', we cannot hope to destroy them, only reduce their power." Tomas said. "That means there are three more Persona users still to be found!"

"Three more?" Amara asked. "Which ones?"

"Devil, Fortune, and Death." Rudo said. "That means we have to locate three people with the capability of summoning a Persona, and fast. Otherwise, we may never be able to destroy Aeternus."

"So we have to focus on searching for them, whilst keeping an eye on the next two Divine Sparks...this is going to be tough." Aimee said. "Okay! From now on, when any team is training, keep an eye out for anything that feels like a Persona's presence!"

Tomas pointed to the screen again, and the image changed. Now, it was a peculiar Persona - a rather demonic looking one. They had long, black and red robes, and short spiky red hair. Embedded in the forehead of this being was a red jewel, and the Persona was clutching a large, elaborate scythe, that looked as if it was made from blood itself.

"Tomas, what is this?" Amara asked. "Have you found the next Persona user already?!"

"Not quite. I merely tested artificial Personas as well! Alas, they were incompatible with the genuine ones. This one is an artificial Devil Persona. Do you want to know who's the current owner?" Tomas asked, with an insane glint in his eyes.

"Who?" Nathan asked. "Wait, don't tell me -"

The world seemed to stop as the red aura surrounded Tomas. Other Amara screamed as she saw what came out of his body - the exact same monster that was on the screen. Rudo looked away, and stepped back.

"Yes! I gave myself one of the strongest fake Personas ever made! Now I can control the sheer power!" Tomas said. "Now I can aid you all, with this tremendous strength!"

"But Tomas, the power of an artificial Persona is dangerous! It could kill you!" Other Amara said, hysterical. "How could you?!"

"Don't talk to me like that! You should be grateful! I've already grown accustomed to the malignant energies of Belial. In fact, soon enough, we will be one and the same!" Tomas said. "And it isn't just me, either!"

"...What?" Amara asked. "Dad, what's he talking about?!"

Rudo grimaced, as the image on the screen changed. The Persona had a less menacing appearance, and was a grey skinned male with black hair, and sharp horns from it's head. Also, this Persona had a black mask covering his mouth, and a small blue cape that matched it's blue shirt. Completing the ensemble were blue boots and black gloves. Interestingly, his arms had an odd puppet like build.

"Rudo, show them Nebiros!" Tomas said. "You can't hide your new abilities now!"

As the red aura surrounded his body, a massive surge of energy flowed through him, and another man burst out of Rudo. This was Nebiros, the same being on the screen. A large metal ring was attached to his back, with sharp edges.

"Dad, how could you?!" Other Amara wailed. Zao gasped as she tore across the room, and hit her father's chest. "You stupid bastard! That Persona will kill you, just like it does to all the Ornatu Legion! You'll die if you use that thing!"

"Amara...I did this a while ago. Tomas told me that in order to survive, I needed more than a handgun. So he showed me the power of Belial, and I couldn't believe it. This was stronger than any of the Ornatu Legion I had met. So I eventually fused Nebiros into myself, and he's surprisingly powerful." Rudo said. Amara tried to hit him again, but he caught her arm. "Stop it, Amara. I won't give up Nebiros. Not until we've saved the city."

"But that could take much longer than you think!" Kyle said. "I've done some research on this very subject. The average Ornatu Legion member starts to hear voices, then they might faint on occasion. Even worse, it's possible for the fake Persona to consume the wielder, and destroy them entirely!"

"What?!" Other Amara screamed. "Dad, you have to get rid of that thing now! Right now!"

"He'll do no such thing! This power will help you in the long run!" Tomas said. "Your hysteria is not going to save this planet! So shut up, and let us use this power in any way we see fit!"

"More like the way _you _see fit." Blaine said.

"Guys! Listen, we know what we need to do now. Since the rest of you are a bit on edge, let the four of us go and hunt for the new Persona users." Bianca said. "We'll do a good job! Commander, we won't let you down!"

"I'm not giving you orders anymore. You'll do just fine. Go on, go search the city as hard as you can!" Other Blaine said.

Alastair, followed by his friends, left via the NDD after Seraphina activated it for them. Seraphina turned to Priscilla, and pointed towards the door.

"What?" Priscilla asked. "You want me to go with them?"

"You must. I implore you to! Remember what I told you earlier. You must go, right now!" Seraphina pleaded.

"You're one pushy psychic. Okay..." Priscilla sighed, and she reluctantly followed the Holy Cross.

"Amara, please don't cry -"

"Shut up!" Other Amara wailed, smacking her father right across his face. "I hate you, you stupid idiot! You're going to kill yourself with that power! Seraphina, we need to go! Now!"

"As you wish, Lady Amara. Tomas, Rudo, we will rendezvous at a later opportunity. By then, we should have one of the three we lack." Seraphina said. She and the others left, returning to their hidden base.

"Well, that could have gone better." Rudo said.

"It's all for a worthwhile cause. This power is far too good to give up...perhaps I could use it in place of a genuine one after all. I just have to test it to the very limit!" Tomas said, laughing out loud. "Imagine, a truly astonishing metamorphosis! Transforming a mass of negative feelings into an avatar of immeasurable power! Rudo, you should rejoice! We will destroy Nihane Kronos, with the same power he wishes to inflict on all of us!"

"...I need to take a nap. If I stay here, I'm going to lose whatever's left of my mind." Rudo said, storming out of the room.

"Tch! What happened to the man with a vision I met all those years ago?!" Tomas screeched. "You'll come round, just you wait! I will succeed, and overpower the Ater Vox! The world will forever remember our names, as the saviours of the universe!"

_Nova Albion, Albion Incorporated Headquarters_

This building, in the other world, was where Nathan and Priscilla, worked during the week. After Reginald's murder, the corporation was completely absorbed by Aeternus, and thus it's expert employees contributed their knowledge and skills to aid Archibald's technological achievements. From what Kyle had discovered, the corporation still operated as normal overseas. The headquarters were still in use, but many rooms and even entire floors were abandoned, due to activity moving to the Aeternus Headquarters.

"Why are we here, Alastair?" Richard asked.

"I'm picking up on a strange sensation. It's worth investigating. If it turns out to just be a Shadow, we should get rid of it, and fast." Alastair said. "I'm very grateful to have your support, Miss Lancaster."

"I'm only here because Seraphina told me to. So this is Albion Incorporated. In that other world, Reginald still runs that company with all his heart. Here, it's just a puppet that helps Aeternus with their technology needs. Makes me sick..." Priscilla said, glaring at the red logo above the doorway.

"Well, let's go inside. If we can find either the Fortune, Devil or Death Persona users, we're bound to impress the Commander!" Richard said. "And even if we don't, he won't beat us up!"

"You sure about that?" Kazuya said. "We may be on the other side now, but he's still pretty intimidating to me. Although it is nice to see him laughing with his old friend."

"You mean Daniel Kingsley? He seems like a decent man, beneath that gruff exterior. And that unsightly goatee. Priscilla, haven't you convinced him to shave it off yet?" Bianca asked.

"I've grown used to it. It's better than him growing a beard...I'm not fond of those." Priscilla said. "Which is why I never liked it when Nathan went without shaving."

_Inside_

"Wow, how did we get inside so easily?" Richard asked. "Are people allowed to just go into the lobby?"

"Well, yes. But you'd need a pass to get anywhere else." Priscilla said. "I don't see any receptionist here, though. Or any security. I guess they really don't bother using this place anymore..."

"That, and it _is _a Sunday." Alastair said. "And - watch out!"

Surrounding the five of them were three Shadows, each looking like a pair of dice. These ones had the green 'Fortune' mask. One of them rolled to the floor, and Priscilla was struck with Aques.

"This would be so much easier if we had Seraphina to analyse these things. Otherwise, it's a matter of luck!" Kazuya said. "Let me try this, then! Mazionga!" Uriel blasted the Shadows with electricity, which seemed to hurt them, but not massively. One of them soared at Kazuya, hitting him with both dice. "Ah!"

"Kazuya, watch out -" Richard said, but a Shadow hit him with a fast medley of bashes. "Owwie!"

"Oh god! Let me handle this. Golden Feathers!" Alastair shouted, and Michael appeared. Soaring proudly above the Shadows, a swarm of sharp golden feathers fell from his wings. The feathers struck each of the Shadows, and this time, it was enough to send them all to the ground.

"I'll finish this! Mabufula!" Priscilla cried. To her horror, however, the attack did not have any affect on the Shadows whatsoever. "Damn! I never expected them to resist Ice!"

"It's alright, Priscilla! Let me try and defeat them. Malaques!" Bianca beckoned. The gushing water of Gabriel crashed into the unholy dice before them, and all but one of them were defeated.

"Alright! Let's get 'em - huh?" Richard, clutching his spear, stared in confusion at what happened next. The dice was surrounded by a large light, and the mask started to flash red. Then, with a strange roar, the Shadow exploded. Everyone was knocked back by the blast, their bodies in pain all over.

"Oh good lord! What on earth was that?" Bianca said, holding her knee. "That was painful…"

"It would seem if we take too long to defeat those monstrosities, we risk grave injuries." Alastair said. "Can everyone stand?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Priscilla said, standing up. "Come on, on your feet! Now!"

"We're always getting bossed around..." Kazuya said, slowly getting up with the others. "Come on, let's go further up. There might be more Shadows around."

The five of them wandered around the place, fighting a myriad of Shadows along the way. Most of them were of the Fortune Arcana, which intrigued Priscilla. Not only were there Dice, but strange Hourglass shaped ones that loved to cast debilitating magic on their enemies. Finally, they reached the highest level.

"...I don't see anyone here." Richard said.

Just then, the glass behind him exploded. Everyone ducked, as bullets rained seemingly from nowhere. Not a single window was left spared, and bullet holes had riddled every wall and floor.

"Who's there?!" Priscilla screamed.

"My, you're unsettled today. I suppose I should have chosen a less exquisite entrance, hmm?" a sultry voice said. Every word she said sent a shiver down Priscilla's spine. The Holy Cross seemed to recognise that voice too…it was none other than Josephine. A wall burst open, and she leapt in front of them, holding her pistols.

"Josephine!" Kazuya said.

"So the Holy Cross survive, and betray us. Normally, I'd be upset, but Nihane won't care in the slightest. You never did hold a candle to that Commander of yours!" Josephine said, snidely. "So why have you come here now? Were you hoping to find your lost love here, Priscilla dear?"

"You be quiet. I'll find Nathan eventually, and we'll destroy you and your sick plans!" Priscilla snapped. "If you want a fight, I'll give you one!"

Josephine yawned, but she was clearly enjoying her rival's frustration. "You can act as high and mighty as you like, but you could never compare to my charms. Nathan will be mine in the end, but it matters not which Nathan. I need someone youthful, with a fire burning within him!"

"Well, if you need fire, shouldn't you go after Kyle? Nathan doesn't know any Agi spells!" Richard said.

"Your feeble attempt at comedy still repulses me! Fine then, I'll take it upon myself to crush you into the ground! It's only fitting that I do it here, the place where I first met Reginald!" Josephine shouted. "Sinful Earth!"

The floor beneath them started to shake. Before any of them had a chance to avoid it, dark boulders of earth burst out of the floor, hitting each of them with much force. Josephine laughed at the howls of pain her opponents made. She leapt back, and began firing repeatedly.

"You lot aren't about to give up already, are you? You disappoint me! I heard you and that unsightly Dan rogue destroyed our shadow in the fountain! Aren't you going to fight back?" Josephine taunted.

"Grr..." Priscilla uttered. "I'll kill you, you filthy whore! Snowfield!" Josephine scoffed at the name of this attack, but this stopped abruptly when the snow hit her. Angry, she fired at Priscilla. Alastair was about to swing at her from behind, but she quickly shot behind, hitting him as he struck her.

"You're as clever as I remember, Josephine. It's a shame your talent is wasted on world domination plots." Alastair said.

"My, you're a cute lad yourself. Perhaps I can have two toy boys around. Two sophisticated, dapper, charming men to attend to my every whim! Yes, I can't wait! However, I will not stop with out 'plot'!" Josephine shouted. "Magnadyne!"

"Oh crap!" Richard shouted, as the boulders struck him. His body fell to the floor, and he was just able to stay conscious.

"Josephine, what's in the Eternal Road for you?" Bianca asked, as she trusted her rapier forward. Josephine leapt backwards, but bumped into Kazuya, who was behind her.

"Oww..." Kazuya said. "Watch where you're going! Heaven Pyre!" A golden ball of flames gathered in the sky, and landed straight at Josephine, sending shockwaves of flames all around the building. By now, most of the top floor was damaged beyond repair.

"What's in it for me, you ask? I'll tell you! You people label us as evil, seeking nothing but bloodshed and control! But with the Eternal Road complete, all of reality can be rewritten! All the problems we wish we could solve, or the mistakes we yearn to correct - we can banish them forever! I will remain forever beautiful! Nathan will love me, forever! And I will surpass Archibald!" Josephine shot at Kazuya again, and began leaping all over the room, dodging various attacks.

"You're serious? Are you that desperate for Nathan?" Priscilla asked. "Why?! You murdered his father just so you could replace him with a younger model!"

"Fool. Reginald never loved me the way he loved his wife. I learned that the day she died! Or rather, the day I killed her!" Josephine shouted. "Magnadyne-"

"Garudyne!" Richard cried. "Hell yeah! Take that, slut!"

"Urgh! No...NO!" Josephine screamed. Her air of confidence had dispersed, leaving behind absolute rage. "Since when did you become so powerful? All you had to do was fuel the Divine Sparks!"

"You...murdered Valerie?!" Priscilla shouted. "So you could have Reginald all to yourself?"

"Exactly! Reginald may have been getting on in his years, but he was still a handsome, strapping gentleman. Generous, compassionate, and above all, a great listener. But that stupid Valerie kept luring him back! So I had to get rid of her...but he knew. He just knew, deep down, that I did it. That was when I decided to go after his son...but it will take the Eternal Road to have him become mine, while you're around!" Josephine, now fuelled by bitterness itself, fired at everyone with rapid shots, and Cybele swung everyone with massive swings, sending Richard to the ground.

"Urgh...this lady's...annoying..." Kazuya said.

"I don't care much for you people, either! Now it's time to die! Terra Lapsis!" Josephine yelled, and Cybele's red aura flared all around her. The ground began shaking, and the walls started to break apart, piece by piece. Sharp rocks burst out of the ground, hitting everyone with no mercy. Priscilla couldn't move - the pain was too much. The rocks jagged into every part of her, and even with Uathach she couldn't handle that much pain.

"Oh no...I'm sorry, Nathan...I couldn't see you again..."

She shut her eyes, and when she opened them again…she was higher up. It felt like she was floating. Josephine was on the floor, writhing in pain. Then she realised - something was lifting her up. Strong, tender arms. She lifted her head, and finally saw who was carrying her injured body. She would recognise that red hair anywhere. Those eyes…the ones she cherished. Nathan had truly came to her rescue.

"Nathan! It's...you!" Priscilla said. "I'm sorry...we weren't strong enough -"

"Don't say that. You fought well. I wish I could have woken up sooner, but this was worth waiting for." Nathan said. Smiling, he helped Priscilla stand.

"Nathan..." Priscilla said, her eyes watering. "Josephine, she -"

"I heard. I was on my way to help, but she got you with that attack before I could reach you." Nathan said. "Priscilla, don't listen to a word this woman says. Even if she had the entire universe at her fingertips, I would never leave your side. I'm not like my father - whoa!"

Priscilla had wrapped her arms around Nathan. Now, she knew for sure. Nathan hadn't perished after all. And he had come to her rescue. She wasn't letting him go this time - she had done that twice before. Each time, she had been miserable without him. If it hadn't been for Seraphina and the others, she never would have gotten through those lonely days.

"You! Nathan, you returned! Just as Blaine and Amara have done! Not to mention the Holy Cross…how powerful can the Divine Sparks be, if not one of you died at all?!" Josephine hollered.

"Be quiet." Nathan said, raising his weapon. "I never thought I'd feel so inclined to assault a woman before, but you have destroyed my family, and their legacy! I swear, I will never forgive you! Nor will I let Priscilla die at your hands!"

"Whoa! This Nathan is awesome! Go get her, man! Whoop her ass!" Richard shouted.

"Gladly! Behold, Garudyne!" A ferocious blast of wind struck Josephine, sending her right through the wall, and onto the ground below.

"I can't believe you just did that!" Bianca said, stunned. "Then again, you have every reason to hate that woman."

"I doubt that killed her off. We should hurry and check." Alastair said.

"Right. Priscilla, are you able to walk?" Nathan asked.

"I'll be fine, as long as you're here with me." Priscilla said. Nathan took her hand, and smiled. When he saw it's condition, however, his heart sank. Thanks to the battle, there was a large gash on the back of her hand.

"Priscilla! Hold on, I'll-"

"Please, don't panic. I can have Serena, Aimee or Tara handle that later. Unless one of you know how to heal?" Priscilla asked.

"Um, I know a few skills, but I'm not as good as the ladies are at it. One sec!" Richard said. "Raphael!" His Persona used a healing spell, which had a calm serene light fill Priscilla's body. The gash stopped bleeding, and Priscilla smiled.

"Thank you, Richard. Now let's hurry up! We must finish off Josephine, while we have the chance!" Priscilla said.

_Outside, near the Parking Lot_

Josephine had landed on the ground, her guns broken into pieces. Despite the distance she fell, she was still breathing.

"Even that didn't kill her. I guess with the power of a Persona, you can survive falls like that." Kazuya said. "Nathan, if you want to do this, go ahead. I won't stop you."

"Well, it seems kind of extreme, but with what she did to you and your family…I can see the desire for revenge." Bianca said.

Nathan raised his staff, and stared at Josephine. He swung it down, with more force than he had ever used before in his life. Alas, something caught his weapon. It was a person's hand - Pierre, to be specific.

"Pierre Leonard! Why are you here?" Alastair said.

"Pathetic...Josephine couldn't defeat either of you! Even the Holy Cross!" Pierre said. "So, you've returned from the dead, Nathan. No matter. The Divine Sparks will surely summon the Eternal Road, regardless of who survives them!"

"Grr...get out of my way! I have to make that woman pay!" Nathan shouted. Pierre sighed, and shoved Nathan back.

"Now is not the time. Nihane told me that the time to settle everything has yet to come. When that time approaches…that is when you can face her again. Josephine...aside from her goal to surpass Archibald, you are all she dreams about. Both you and your father fill the void left behind by her late husband. But if you want to dismiss her as a cold hearted harlot, then be that way." Pierre said.

"The woman killed his parents! How dare you defend such deplorable actions! From now on, the Holy Cross will never support the Ater Vox! We instead declare our full support to the rebel forces!" Alastair said. "And your Eternal Road will never be built! That's a fact!"

"Such confidence, Alastair. I'm ever so slightly threatened." Pierre said. He quickly lifted Josephine's body into his arms, and glanced at the enemy group before him. "I'll surely face you all in combat soon enough. Tell Kyle I'm looking forward to battling him again. Oh, and one more thing. Carlos has something you might be looking for!"

"What? What are you talking about?" Priscilla asked. Pierre chuckled, and disappeared along with Josephine. "Wait! You coward! Get back here!"

"Damn! This chosen time better come soon. Josephine will never get away with what she has done!" Nathan, seething, looked at Priscilla. She was rather frightened, but still relieved. "...How long has it been?"

"It's August 18th now." Bianca said. "It's not just us that survived, too! Amara and our Commander are alive and well, and there's a lot to report, actually. Two more Divine Sparks happened! And the rebels have new members!"

"New members? How many are we talking?" Nathan asked.

"There's Matthew, Karen, Roger, Zao, and Tara." Priscilla said. "About Tara...your other self knows her. From his own world, that is. Apparently, the two of us met her at university."

"I see. So my other self led a truly peaceful life until now..." Nathan said. "Let's return to the base. I'm looking forward to meeting the new people. Of course, they'll know who I am already!"

"Perfect! It'll make the introductions easier!" Richard said. "Come on, let's get out of here!"

_Secret Base_

"My dad is such a moron!" Other Amara said. "I knew artificial Personas were bad news, but after everything Kyle said, I can't let him keep Nebiros!"

"I don't think you'll be able to stop him, somehow." Nathan said. "He must earnestly believe that his new power will aid you, his only daughter."

"Hey, Amara. Don't cry. I know what will cheer you up!" Zao said. "How about a joke?"

"What the hell? I don't need Comedy Central!" Other Amara said. "All I need is my dad to stop being an idiot and get rid of that evil power!"

"Don't speak to Zao like that. He just wants to lighten the mood." Amara said.

"Okay, forget the joke. I'll save it for a better time. Instead, have a story!" Zao said. "Once upon a time, two boys were playing by a huge, deep river. One boy was kicking his ball around, and it fell into the water. So the other boy, although he isn't as strong as his friend, decides he wants to get it back. Seeing his friend burst into tears makes him more determined than ever."

"Zao, where are you going with this?" Dan asked.

"So the weaker boy jumps in the sea. The water is freaking cold, but he grabs the ball. He gets out of the river, his clothes soaked through. His parents are screaming at him, because he could of died. His friend is stunned, but when he gets the ball back, he hugs his friend, even if his body is completely drenched." Zao said. "Do you know why the boy did that?"

"Why?" Other Amara asked, confused.

"Because they were friends." Zao said. "And your Dad is doing this…because he's your Dad. It's dangerous, but he's doing whatever he can to help you."

Amara couldn't believe her ears. She would have expected this kind of wisdom to come from someone mature, like Nathan. Even Blaine seemed more likely to tell a story like this than Zao.

"...Zao, you're right. I need to go talk to my father and apologise." Other Amara said. "Seraphina, can you take me there? I'm sorry to trouble you, but -"

"It is no trouble at all. However, in six seconds, Priscilla and the Holy Cross will return -"

True to her word, the five of them did return…along with someone else. It was Other Nathan, in the flesh.

"Holy shit! It's the cooler Nathan!" Blaine said.

"What do you mean, cooler?" Nathan asked.

"Duh! Look at his clothes! And his haircut! He's got that street smart savvy us Kanaloan men have in spades!" Blaine said, approvingly.

"I...never imagined I'd be compared to someone from Kanaloa. Should I be honoured or annoyed?" Other Nathan said.

"It doesn't matter!" Amara said. "We're glad to see you alive and well. This means seven out of eight people survived the Divine Spark of Farawell! Leaving…"

"My other self. It's a safe bet we'll find her again, though. So, we have to tell Nathan here about what's been going on?" Serena said.

"Yeah. First of all, I'm Matthew Kingsley. Dan's real brother, and Blaine's kinda brother." Matthew said, holding out his hand. Other Nathan shook his hand vigorously, and Matthew smiled. "You actually do seem cooler than the other Nathan…"

"Ahem! I'm Karen, and this is my partner, Roger." Karen said, and the three of them shook hands.

"Pleased to meetcha, buddy." Roger said. "You seem pretty tough…glad to have you on board."

"Likewise. And I take it the blue haired chap over there is Zao?" Other Nathan said.

"Yup! I'm Amara's gentleman caller!" Zao said, with his cheerful smile.

"Can't you say boyfriend, like everyone else?" Amara said, sighing. "He's a dork, but I love him to bits."

"I can imagine." Other Nathan said. "That leaves…Tara."

"Hello, the other Nathan. This is going to be confusing when I'm talking to the two Nathans, isn't it?" Tara said. "I guess one can be the 'cool' Nathan…"

"Why am I suddenly uncool?" Nathan asked. "Is it the suit? The haircut? The willingness to discuss our company's restructuring?"

"YES!" Blaine shouted. "But we wouldn't have you any other way!"

"We're quite the ensemble of characters!" Aimee said. "Now then, we should tell you about what's happened since my birthday."

_Moments Later_

"I see. So we need to locate three more Persona users to counter the Eternal Road. We have quite a task on our hands, don't we?" Other Nathan said. "Still, I'll be honoured to aid you."

"Thank you. We appreciate the help. So, we have four people to look for now. The Devil, Death and Fortune Persona users, and Serena of this world." Aimee said.

"I'm sure we'll find her eventually." Kyle said. "If I have to search the entire city for her, I will!"

"Someone's got a crush, I see!" Matthew said, playfully.

"Shut the fuck up..." Kyle muttered.

"Did you say something?" Dan asked, glaring.

"Nothing at all. Now then, we have two bases. Most of our meetings take place here, so the other one is for the extra members to reside and keep their equipment, clothes and personal items." Kyle said. "Nathan, I'd like you to stay there for the time being."

"But Kyle, what about my room?" Priscilla asked.

"She doesn't waste time, does she?" Blaine said, grinning.

"Well, Priscilla, you just have a single bed. We could try finding a double somewhere, but for now Nathan - our world's Nathan - will have to go in the second base." Kyle said.

"Don't worry about him. Me and Karen will take good care of him!" Roger said.

"Alright...sorry, but I need to go home now. It's late, and I've got work in the morning." Amara said.

"Yes, we should return to our world. We'll meet again soon, and help find those we are searching for." Nathan said.

"You go and get some sleep. I'll see you all next week, then. Have a good night!" Aimee said.

"Kyle..did I just hear you tell my brother to 'shut the fuck up?'" Dan asked, his voice eerily devoid of emotion.

"Okay, we're out of here! Come on, let's go!" Blaine said. He, Amara, Nathan, Zao and Serena zoomed through the NDD, eager to avoid the inevitable argument.

_Normal World, Dan and Blaine's house_

"Oh, you're finally here." Dan said. "You've got a visitor. She's been waiting for a few hours, and she's pissed. You ought to know better than to leave a girl waiting!"

"What the - Lucy?" Blaine said. There she was, sitting on the chair.

"About time! I thought I'd surprise you by coming over! I was going to suggest we have a night in to celebrate your new job, but I didn't think you'd take so long." Lucy said, fuming, with her arms crossed. "Where were you, anyway?"

"I was...out for a walk. My phone was switched off." Blaine said, nervously. _Damn, she's mad. How am I gonna make it up to her? _

"A walk until 11:45?" Lucy said, raising her eyebrow. "Whatever, you're here now. Dan, could you excuse us?"

"Fine, I'll leave you lovebirds be. Just remember to shut his bedroom door. Once you do that, I won't be able to hear a thing!" Dan said, winking at Blaine, as he went upstairs.

"Sorry, baby..." Blaine said, as he sat down. "You didn't have to wait up for me."

"Well, I did. You should be grateful!" Lucy said. "So, are you looking forward to becoming a bartender?"

"Damn straight. It's about time I served the drinks instead of, well, drinking 'em." Blaine said, smiling. "It'll be better money than that Korean place, too."

"Blaine, can I tell you something?" Lucy asked.

"Sure, baby. What is it?" Blaine said, concerned.

"You don't have to call me baby every five seconds. The thing is...my cousin's coming over to visit me. He knows about you, and he really wants to see what you're like." Lucy said, anxious.

"So what's the problem? You did tell him good things about me, right?" Blaine asked. "Come on, a guy like me shouldn't be any problem for him!"

"Well, he's...not the most welcoming kind of guy. He hates anyone who won't live up to his high standards. And his standards are high. I bet even Nathan wouldn't impress him!" Lucy said.

"Please, Nathan doesn't even impress _me _most of the time." Blaine said. "Would you relax a bit? Your cousin might like me if he gets to know me. And if he doesn't, screw him!"

"Well, if you say so...I dunno what it is about you. You always make feel better when I'm down." Lucy said, blushing.

"Hey, what are boyfriends for?" Blaine said, smiling. He got up, and gave Lucy a quick kiss. "Sorry, I'm tired...do you want a ride home?"

"Are you stupid? You just told me you're tired! I'm not letting you fall asleep on that motorbike, you dumb fool!" Lucy said, rolling her eyes. "I'll just have to stay here tonight!"

"Perfect." Blaine said, winking at her. She thought for a bit, then smiled.

"Ah...I suppose we'll have to close that bedroom door after all." Lucy said, coyly.

_Amara's Apartment_

"Hey, Zao, about that story tonight. Did that actually happen?" Amara asked.

"You could say that!" Zao said. "I was thinking a lot about me and Karl earlier, actually. The two of us were best friends, tighter than...well, you get the picture."

"So you really jumped into a freezing cold river to get his ball back?" Amara said. "I didn't think you could be so brave!"

"Well, it wasn't really bravery. I just didn't like seeing Karl cry like that. And he did cry!" Zao said. "It's kind of a shame things went bad between you and him. I mean, I know if you hadn't broken up with him, we wouldn't be together. But still.."

"We're fine now, I think. That's down to you!" Amara said, giving Zao a big kiss.

"Down to me? Why do you think that?" Zao asked.

"You made it possible for us to move on, as friends." Amara said. "You and him are close again, too. If I hadn't met you, me and Karl probably never would have spoken again. Zao…you're amazing. I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me."

"...Amara, I'm really nothing special. Fishing is the only thing I can do better than anyone else." Zao said. "Still, it feels good that you're complimenting me!"

"Don't put yourself down like that. You really cheered my other self up. Now then, let's curl up on that sofa, and watch more art house DVDs!" Amara said.

"But don't you have to work in the morning?" Zao said.

"Okay, then just the one." Amara said, smiling. The two of them sat close to each other, and Zao put his arm on her shoulder.

_Zao...one day, we'll save the city. After that, we'll have all the time we want for each other. I just hope you're ready for whatever we have to face, from now on. The Ater Vox won't let us do as we please, so we have to prepare to fight._


	53. Chapter 53: Moonlight

**Chapter 53: Moonlight  
**

_Motion Publishing, August 20th 2012, 8:53_

Amara was still sleepy as she reached the building. Even so, she was looking forward to it. Here, she could mingle with her colleagues, and hear about their activities during the weekend. Outside the building, Amara saw Colette, and unusually, she was wearing clothes she had worn before. _So I guess her wardrobe isn't so big after all..._

"Hello!" Colette said, waving, as Amara arrived. "Looking good, as always! Purple suits you well."

"Flattery will get you nowhere!" Amara replied. "So how was your weekend?"

"The usual. So many clothes, so little time! It's been a little while since we had a girl's night out, now that I think about it. How about we do something this weekend? I might even invite Lucy. After all, she was helping me with that interview." Colette said.

"Sure, why not. I can put up with her for a minute." Amara said. "Hey, what's that noise - whoa!"

Zooming right up towards them was a black motorcycle - with a very familiar lightning emblem on it. Sure enough, behind the black and yellow helmet was Blaine Spencer, looking proud and fierce to be in command of his beast. Someone was riding behind him, with a helmet a few sizes too big for her. No doubt, it was Lucy. She took it off, relieved - but fidgeted with her hair, trying to get it right.

"Yo!" Blaine said. "Bet you wish you girls could get to work in style, right?"

"Uh..." Amara didn't answer that question. She doubted she could safely ride a motorcycle the way Blaine could. Perhaps he could have been a stuntman, if he had been so inclined.

"Hello there..." Lucy said. As Colette and Amara stared at her, curiously, she started to panic "Wait, what are you girls looking at?"

"I take it you had an exciting weekend, then?" Colette said.

"Oh, it was, alright!" Blaine said, even more confident.

"Blaine!" Lucy groaned. "Yes, I...saw him over the weekend. Don't make such a big deal over it! I'm a big girl, I can do as I please!"

"Big? I'm about a foot taller than you are! Anyway, you and I are still having lunch, yeah?" Blaine asked.

"Well, you don't even start work until tonight, so I suppose so." Lucy said. "Are you working every night this week?"

"I think so. That's when most bars get busy, after all. But don't worry! If you get lonely, and need a cold refreshing drink, you know where to find me!" Blaine said.

"What's this about a bar?" Colette asked. "I thought you were working in the mall?"

"I was, but I gave that shit up. About time, too. Instead, I'll be tending the bar at Motus Lounge! You girls should pop in sometime. Trust me, I can make a great drink and create the right atmosphere." Blaine said. "Anyway, you girls better get going. Have fun, baby!"

"I wouldn't call it fun, but thanks. Come on, Colette, we have to get you ready for that interview. Let's see if we can get rid of any words that are too hard for you to pronounce..." Lucy said, practically dragging Colette away.

"Damn, I didn't get my goodbye kiss!" Blaine said, but despite this, he just shrugged. "Oh well. I got plenty of kisses last night! Hehe..."

"Blaine, I get it. You're something of a love machine. Anyway..." Amara said, nervously. "You can still come with us to the other world, right?"

"Dunno. I never thought about that. Kaman's pretty laid back, so it should be okay. We're not going tonight, are we?" Blaine asked. "Cause if we find those extra Persona users, I wanna be in on the action!"

"Nope. Maybe tomorrow then, once you sort out your schedule." Amara said. "Until then, we'll let the other guys handle it. Right, I'd better go! I don't want Lucy getting suspicious..."

"Oh, come on. I know she's a bit headstrong, but she wouldn't think that just because we're talking together! But I'd better go, anyway. Bye!" Blaine said. Amara quickly went up to the Real People offices, thinking about the new Persona users. Devil, Death, and Fortune. Who was who? Perhaps Stella could tell her.

Later, whilst Amara was drawing, she looked at Stella. Something looked different. Her hair wasn't it's usual self - her hairline looked lower than it did usually.

"Um, Stella, is there something wrong with your hair?" Amara asked.

"Of course there isn't. Don't be so ridiculous." Stella said. She didn't look up from her computer, but this question clearly touched upon a nerve.

"Alright then, keep you hair on!" Stella glared at her, and Amara laughed it off. "Okay, I'll drop the whole hair thing. The other night, in the world through the door...we learned that we need more Persona users before we can stop the Shadows." Amara said. "They're of the Devil, Death and Fortune Arcana."

"I see. Let me try out my insight..." Stella said. She shut her eyes, and concentrated. Amara looked around, but none of her colleagues had heard her, thankfully. Sheila was dealing with another letter from an anonymous boarding school student, and Juan was eyeing up Collette's new skirt. Lucy saw this, and give him the most evil death leer she had ever seen.

"Amara? Are you still listening to me?" Stella said, waving a hand in front of Amara's eyes.

"Yes, I can hear you. What's up?" Amara said. "You learn something?"

"Yes, actually. I have a few ideas. To begin with, my sense is that the first one you will encounter is the Devil wielder. You may find that you already know her…" Stella said. "Yet, it remains to be seen. Shortly following her will be Death - or rather, there will be two Deaths. One will be the true one that seeks the end of the impure age and the beginning of a new age of harmony. The other will be a false hero who clings to a hatred words cannot pacify."

"Yes, I actually have. To begin with...there will be two Devils. One of them you will recognise, one of them you have never met. However, she has a tie to one of your comrades." Stella said. "Likewise, there will be two Deaths. One is a lady you also know, who is torn by the painful memories of the past. One is a man who has given up on life without his beloved. Only one Devil and only one Death will remain in the end. Which one it will be, I...cannot figure out."

"Whoa...so one Death will be our friend, the other won't be. Same goes for the Devil. Got it." Amara said. "What about the Fortune?"

"I..." Stella said, looking stunned. "The spirits told me that the Wheel of Fortune will spin eternal, but a journey will stop not long after the Wheel begins to turn."

"What does that even mean?" Amara asked. "Fool's Journey?"

"...I do not know. No matter how hard I try, I cannot get a clearer vision of the events to come." Stella said. "But have confidence in my words, Amara. You will find the truth. Be prepared for whatever happens."

"I will. Thank you." Amara said. She turned back to her desk, and resumed colouring her work. As she did this, she wondered about what she just heard. Two Death Persona users would emerge, but only one of them could be an ally. When the Fortune user would appear, a journey would end. Instead of feeling relaxed, she just felt anxious, and concerned. Anything could happen in the other world...

_Lucille Valley High School, Hallway_

"So, Mathematics next?" Kyle asked.

"Yup. Then I've got another damn meeting. Lucas always look so damn chipper when he's there, and it makes me look bad. I always feel so bored the whole time I'm there!" Serena said.

"Serena! If you slack off, do you know what might happen? The school is counting on you!" Kyle said, looking right into her eyes. Even seeing him slightly angry unsettled her. Especially when it was her he was angry at.

"Sorry. You're right, I suppose I should be more focused on - oh, hello!"

Running right up to them was Lucas, who was panting for breath. Serena and Kyle looked at each other in confusion, and other students stared at them.

"Lucas, did you want something, or do you have to exercise everywhere?" Serena asked.

"Phew...sorry. I'm in training, every minute, every hour, every day…" Lucas wheezed. He wiped beads of sweat off his head, and looked at Kyle. "It was him I wanted to see."

"Why?" Kyle said. "You need me to do your homework for you? Forget it!"

"Don't be such an idiot! No, I don't need people doing my homework. I'll screw that up my way!" Lucas said, still exhausted. "I've got something you might be interested in. You know what the Paralympics are, correct?"

"The Olympics for people in wheelchairs?" Kyle said, looking sceptical.

"Well, if you want to speak simply, then yeah. I just found out that there's a small sports stadium in Saragel where a track team for handicapped people practice!" Lucas said. "So...how about you check it out?"

"What?! No way! I'm not an athlete!" Kyle said.

"I figured you'd say that. But here's the thing. Next month, they're having a meet for a charity. Everyone who takes part gets to help raise money for poorer countries around the world. And you can't say no! I already put your name down." Lucas said.

"You did WHAT?!" Kyle screamed. "...How can I back out now when you bring up the chairty angle?"

"Exactly, my man! Think of the children - and I mean it!" Lucas said, smiling. "Don't you worry. I'll be your coach!"

"Why you?" Serena asked. "Last time you two spoke, you hated each other!"

"Well, I don't. I just wanted to find something Kyle could do." Lucas said. "I've been his classmate for years, and he's never done anything active in his life. Maybe this will get him outdoors more often."

"Um…oh, we have to get to class. I'll see you at today's meeting." Serena said.

"Sure thing! I'll see you tomorrow after school, Kyle. I'll make you into a winner, believe me!" Lucas said, already darting off.

"Oh god..." Kyle said. "I'm never going to be any good at this! I'm no sportsman!"

"But Kyle, it doesn't matter if you don't win -"

"I know! But I'll look like a laughing stock next to those guys! I mean, they're probably built for this contest, but I'm like a stick insect. Please, can we just go to class?"

"Alright, Kyle." Serena said, glumly. As she and Kyle approached the classroom, she sighed. Why did Lucas have to try so hard to make Kyle get out more? She remembered some of Lucas's thoughts...about a penpal, also an athlete, who was killed. Perhaps Lucas was trying to honour his friend's memory. Even so, coaching Kyle wasn't going to replace him. She continued to walk to her class, gazing out of the window. The Kyle in the other world hadn't been very cheerful lately. Perhaps if her other self returned, that would perk him up.

_Solar Ray Mall, Roger's Office_

Roger had been in yet another meeting, discussing the growth of the mall. There was suggestions of expansion, although since there wasn't a lot of space to carry out such an endeavour, this would only allow room for a few new stores. However, what was really on his mind…was Karen.

"Good afternoon, Mr Martin. I brought you the papers you asked for." said Keisha Vivaldi, a young secretary. She wasn't short, but she did seem rather small compared to Roger. Behind her glasses were a pair of green, inquisitive eyes, and she had shoulder length brown hair. She had been working under him since the mall opened, and in that time, she had proven herself a reliable and trustworthy asset. Roger had mostly been formal with her, however, and that seemed to suit him fine.

"Thank you, Keisha. Did you have a good weekend?" Roger asked.

"That's the first time you've ever asked me about that." Keisha said. "Yes, it was fine. I went to see a play."

"What play was that?" Roger asked. He was planning to take Karen to the theatre when he had the time, so perhaps Keisha would recommend the one she saw.

"It was _Truth of Self_. It was quite excellent, really. Superb acting, and a surprising twist on the ending." Keisha said. Despite her praise, she still acted rather cool. Perhaps she wasn't used to Roger inquiring about her life. "What did you and Ms Marshall do, sir?"

"Oh, the two of us went out for dinner in Nova Albion. It was splendid, although we did have rather a lot of wine!" Roger said. "Also, we've known each other for quite a while. You can just call me Roger. Also, it's Karen. She hates being called Ms Marshall."

"Really? Why is that, sir - um, Roger?" Keisha asked.

"Well, it reminds her of all the times she's been married. Neither one of them worked out…but now we're together again, things will be much more peaceful for both of us." Roger said. "Although I'm always swamped with my work here…"

"I know. I've seen how much you struggle, day after day. But ever since you rekindled your romance with Karen, you're looking much healthier than before. I hope you two are happy together." Keisha said.

"Well, thank you!" Roger said, smiling. "Just out of interest, are you involved with anyone?"

"Me? Not at the moment, no. I haven't been looking for a partner, either." Keisha said.

"Oh. Well, you've got loads of time. A girl like you is bound to find a good man!" Roger said. "Trust me. I'm not wrong about these things."

"Why...thank you." Keisha said, with a slight smile. "Well, I'll be on my lunch break now. I'll see you later this afternoon."

"Okay. See you." Roger said. As Keisha left, Roger took a moment to think to himself. The moment he and Karen became an item, rather than just friends.

After the man who assaulted her was sentenced, Roger had a moment of panic. Karen was still afraid of being in that horrible situation again, where she was powerless to resist a man's clutches. But Roger had become rather fond of Karen, and discovered they had much in common. So after the trial, Roger watched as Karen started to head home.

"Wait!" he cried. "Karen, can I take you home?"

"Um, that's alright. I think I'll be able to make it myself. Besides, you've done enough for me already." Karen said.

"Karen, I..." Roger said. "I'm not sure how to say this. I don't want to scare you again, but..."

"What do you mean?" Karen asked, curious. "I'm not afraid of you at all. You might be from Kanaloa, but you're a total wimp who likes plays and business management textbooks. You can say anything to me!"

"I can? Well, here goes..." Roger said. "I…really like you, Karen. I think I did ever since we first met."

"Roger..."

"Whenever we go and see a play, you're interested in what I think about it. Whenever I talk about my plans for the future, you encourage me, and give me even more ideas to try out." Roger said, biting his lip. He was getting rather giddy, his heart was racing, and his eyes were fixed on Karen's. "I've never met a girl like you, Karen. I didn't help you through that trial just because of that, I promise you. I'm not the kind of guy who would do that -"

"Roger! I know! I know what kind of man you are! You're one of the sweetest men I've ever met. You showed me - not all men are like him. Some men are good people. And you, Roger...you're perfect. I'll be honest...I'm very fond of you." Karen said.

"...I'm so glad to hear you say that!" Roger said, overjoyed. Karen seemed happy too, as his face lit up. From this point on, he wouldn't just be a protector, or a friend. Rather, someone she would hold dear to her heart. "In that case, do you want to go to the theatre on Friday?"

"I'd be delighted." Karen said. With the look on her face, Roger couldn't see any sign of the woman that was too afraid to step out her front door. She wanted to be with him…as much as he wanted her. And that was a lot.

Roger looked down at his papers, and sighed. Now was no time to reminisce about his love life. So much needed to get done today. Still, when he went home, he'd have Karen over, and he could forget about the mall for a while.

"Actually, I think I'll take my lunch too..."

_Albion Incorporated, Parking Lot, 4:56 pm_

"Oh, Nathan, I think I'll make my own way home today. I was planning to have my hair done. You know, just the ends." Priscilla said. "I'll be back later."

"Fine, darling. Just remember, I'm cooking tonight. I hope you like it!" Nathan said. Priscilla kissed him, as she normally did at the end of a working day. Smiling, whilst wiping off lipstick from his cheek, he opened his car door. It had been a while since Nathan had cooked chicken cacciatore, but he wasn't worried. After all, he always relaxed when cooking a meal for the two of them, and they both loved the food afterwards - apart from the time he attempted Thai food.

"Hello."

Nathan turned around. It was Joe Kowalski, by himself. Usually, he'd be smiling and trying to make idle chit chat, but this time he seemed rather calm, and cool. This made Nathan felt a little uneasy, but he tried to shake off his tension.

"Hello, Joe. What can I do for you?" Nathan asked.

"Well, I was talking to Priscilla during lunch." Joe said. "Lovely lady, she is. Thing is, she told me about the situation with you and your father."

"She did what?!" Nathan shouted. "I didn't think she'd tell _you_, of all people!"

"Please, calm down. I know I'm a royal pain in the backside, with my late starts in the day. Still, I..." Joe trailed off, looking aside. Quickly, he wiped his eye, but Nathan could see small traces of a tear on his face.

"Are you alright, Joe?" Nathan asked.

"I just have something in my eye, that's all. But as I was saying, Nathan...you're not the only one. Me and my father have never gotten along, even now. I hated him when I was growing up, more than you could imagine." Joe looked straight into Nathan's eyes, clenching his fist. "Nathan, my father's at death's door. When he was berating me for not being top of my class, or wanting to do anything other than work at a huge company like this...he was full of vigour, passion. Now, he barely has the strength to sit up in that bed. Time's running out, and I'm not sure if I can put things right between us. Or even if I want to."

"Joe-"

"But your dad's fine!" Joe raised his voice, looking at Nathan still. "He's only in his sixties. You've got all the time in the world to sort out what he did over a decade ago! You two work in the same building, for crying out loud!"

"...Is that all you wanted to say?" Nathan asked, taken aback.

"Yeah. I'm sorry, I really need to go." Joe said. "Victoria wants me to move the wedding forward, so my dad can be there. And if I don't...there might not even be a wedding. Tch...I thought working here would be the end of all my troubles."

Nathan watched as Joe ran away to his own car. Lost in thought, he sat in his car for a short while. So this was the real Joe Kowalski…a man who couldn't let go of his hatred towards his father, even in the face of that man's death. Reginald had many years left - and Nathan knew what he wanted to do with the time he had left.

Retire.

Watch Nathan and Priscilla get married.

Be a grandfather to Nathan's children.

Nathan didn't know when those things would come, although he did know his father wished to make Nathan the CEO of Albion Incorporated soon. But he had plenty of time. And so, he wasn't going to waste it.

Tonight, he and Priscilla would have a quiet night in. No matter how happy he was with his beloved, his thoughts would be with Joe. If only Joe had more time with his own father...

_Motus Lounge, 8pm_

Blaine's shift had been underway for an hour, and from the moment he started, he had a good feeling. Kaman introduced him to the other bar staff, and Blaine already felt like part of the team. Blaine noticed every single one of them was like Kaman's best friend - he was one hell of a boss, that was for sure. There was a photograph of Kaman with each of them on the back wall, and today, Blaine noticed a blank frame. Blaine had dressed up smartly for his first shift, wearing a new white shirt with a brown waistcoat and a matching tie. Completing the look was a pair of tight black pants, and his favourite wristwatch. Kaman noticed Blaine giving the frame his attention, and tapped him on the shoulder.

"You know what happens next right?" Kaman said, smirking.

"A photo with you? Bring it on, my man!" Blaine said, putting his arm around Kaman. "Good thing I got dressed for the occasion!"

"A true man dresses to impress!" Dan said. He had been sitting there at the bar since the shift started, and despite the lack of a discount, he was enjoying himself. Dan took Kaman's camera, and took the picture. Blaine looked pretty proud of himself, with the best uniform he had ever worn, and a large pint glass in his hand.

"Thanks, dude." Kaman said. "Don't you worry, Dan. I'll take good care of this guy. Every night will be a blast!"

"Oh, that's for sure. Blaine is one heck of a drinking buddy. Just remember, Blaine - you can't help yourself to the drinks just because you're serving them!" Dan said, grinning. "Feel free to give out discounts of course!"

"He's kidding, right?" Kaman asked.

"Of course he is. Just remember, Dan, I _can _have you barred for disorderly conduct!" Blaine said. "Like that asshole did that time four years back..."

"No big deal. That place was shit anyway. Boring bastards, the lot of them. So, who would have thought? Blaine Spencer, the man who sunk a boat while drunk off his ass, got a job at a fancy joint like this!" Dan said, sitting at the bar stool.

"...What was that about a boat?" Kaman asked.

"Oh, you should have been there, man. When I turned thirty, me and Dan went all over town. Finally, when we got to Legarte harbour, we saw a boat, and we still had a pack of beer to get through." Blaine said, fondly remembering this incident. "So we got on the boat, and one thing led to another. I had to pay to repair the damn thing, but it was one heck of an evening."

"Well, as long as you didn't get that sinking feeling! Here's to another thirty years!" Kaman said, raising his glass. "So Dan The Man, you want another?"

"Hell yeah. Same as before." Dan said. "And maybe some shots of whisky, for all of us! Make it a night to remember!"

"Easy on, my man! It's only eight o'clock!" Kaman said. "You two must be seasoned party animals. Wait until you get married - then you'll have to wait until the madam lets you go!"

"Well, I dunno. Me and Lucy have been out tons of times for drinks. Although she's kind of a lightweight compared to me!" Blaine said.

"Evening, gentlemen!"

Roger had just entered the bar, and Karen was besides him. Blaine waved him over, and Kaman looked on, surprised.

"Just how many friends do you have, Blaine?" Kaman asked.

"Oh, quite a few. I've been pretty popular lately." Blaine said, proud. "This is Roger Martin. He owns the Solar Ray Mall!"

"Really? That's awesome! Who's the lucky lady?" Kaman asked.

"I'm Karen. I'm the editor of the Real People magazine. I'm also his girlfriend's boss." Karen said. "Speaking of Lucy, where is she?"

"She said she was waiting until payday till she went on another night out." Blaine said. "Oh well, at least I've got you guys to keep me company!"

"Blaine, we live together. I don't think we've spent more than a day apart!" Dan said. "Of course, that must be why everyday feels like a party."

"That's right, my man! Now drink up!" Blaine said, as he passed the pint of beer to Dan. "Now, what can I get you two?"

"I'll have a red wine, please!" Karen said.

"And I'll have what Dan's having. It looks pretty intense." Roger said, eyeing the glass. "It feels strange, drinking on a Monday night…"

"Yeah, it's pretty quiet. You wait until Friday, that's when things will really pick up." Kaman said. "Oh! I'm Kaman, by the way. Strange name, isn't it?"

"It's certainly unique." Karen said. "Where does it come from?"

"Funny story, actually! It was a long time ago now. My folks were on a business trip in India. They worked at the same company, but they didn't really know each other. So they went to a city called Kaman, and one night, my old man plucked up the courage to ask my mom out for a date. They shared a hotel room that night, and nine months later, yours truly was born!" Kaman said.

"Now that's what I call a successful business meeting." Roger said, impressed. "None of my past business trips were ever _that_ exciting..."

"And they better not be in the future, either!" Karen said, playfully nudging Roger in the elbow. "Next time you have to go to a conference, you better keep both feet on the floor!"

"That's you told, then!" Kaman said. "I'd say that to you as well Blaine, but there won't be any fancy conferences here!"

"Fine with me. Besides, check out those chicks who just came in. If the rest of the customers are like that, I'll be in here every night!" Blaine said.

"You better not let Lucy hear you say that! If I was in your shows, Maria would kill me!" Kaman said, laughing. Soon enough, the girls were laughing too, as Blaine launched into several amusing stories of his drunken past. Dan watched, smiling.

"It's good to see him so happy. He should have started this kind of work years ago!" Dan said. "Would have saved me a lot of sleepless nights."

"Aww, that's so sweet! Were you that worried about him?" Roger asked.

"Not exactly. Whenever he works late, he comes home all exhausted, and heads straight for my bed." Dan said.

"That's something else I wouldn't want dear Lucy to hear." Kaman said, sniggering. "Alright, why your bed?"

"Mine's is comfier than his." Dan said, shrugging. "And it's impossible to budge him when he's tired...so I just leave him there. If I bother him about it, he'll just go on about how shit work was, and make that sad sound he knows pisses me off. The worst job he ever had was when he was at a construction site. He did like getting to whistle at the women that walked by, but not when they slapped him."

"Ah, I see. I better keep a close eye on him. Those nice ladies seem rather enamoured with him already!" Kaman said. "Okay, you guys, I need to attend to the other customers. Let me know if you need anything. Oh yeah. Dan, I have to go out with you guys one night. You'll have to show me your top party tricks."

"Anytime, dude!" Dan said, giving Kaman a fist bump. As he, Karen and Roger talked more, Blaine continued serving drinks to the many people at the bar. Every single one of them seemed to enjoy his service, and he was feeling pretty pleased with himself.

_So this is what it feels like to have a dream job. I did it! It only took fourteen years, but I did it!_

Already, he couldn't wait to call Lucy and let her know how he was doing. Hopefully, she wasn't too worried about her cousin's impending visit…with any luck, he'd make a good impression on him. If not, that was life.

_Other World, Secret Base_

Kyle was by himself today. Last night was dreadful - Kyle denied his harsh comment towards Matthew, but Dan was having none of it. He went ballistic, and Kyle was on the verge of tears. Not even Aimee's desperate attempts at a truce could soften him. Finally, Blaine had to take him to this room, and Kyle stayed out of everyone's way. He was expecting Matthew to be angry with him, too. But Matthew just looked disappointed. It wasn't as if Kyle and Matthew had been close friends - but as he thought about it, he felt a peculiar sensation. It wasn't just the itch on the nose, however. It was...

Nostalgia.

Somehow, Matthew felt familiar to him. Kyle felt like he recognised Matthew's particular habits, namely fidgeting when standing around for too long, or his fascination with women's feet. And…Kyle felt sad, somehow. Could he and Matthew know each other in the other world?

"Hey."

Kyle yelped, and span his chair around. Matthew was there, with his arms crossed.

"Where's everyone else?" Matthew asked.

"They all went out somewhere. I've been here trying to figure out if Aeternus are up to anything. If you're looking for Dan, you can just wait here." Kyle said. "I need to-"

"Stop right there, kid." Matthew said. "You and I need a little chat - without my big bro screaming at you."

Kyle looked up, and said nothing. The memory of Dan's furious ranting was still fresh in his mind. So much shouting over how long he and Matthew had been apart, how he thought he would never see his little brother again, how much he sacrificed to raise him - Kyle couldn't bear it. He and Dan used to be so tight, but...Matthew had changed all that.

"Listen, Matthew. Dan's not interested in me anymore. We're just comrades, not friends. He's all yours." Kyle said.

"What the fuck? You honestly think he's given up on you?" Matthew asked, looking just as mad as Dan did. "Let me tell you something, you idiot. Dan told me that the only reason we got to see each other again is because of you. You're the one that got him out of that bar and brought him here, remember? He would have drunk himself to death if you hadn't shown up that night!"

"But that doesn't mean he needs me anymore-"

"Oh for the love of god! Does everything have to revolve around you? Do we have to shower you with attention just to stop you from having a hissy fit?" Matthew said, infuriated. "Listen to me. Dan is still your best friend. In fact, he was talking about living with you after the Shadows are gone. I mean, you don't have anywhere else to go."

"Do you really mean that?" Kyle said, tearfully. He quickly rubbed his eyes, but he could tell Matthew saw him. "Dan wants to live…with me?"

"Sure he does. He's one heck of a big brother figure. Always has been. But he hasn't seen me for ten whole years. I had to grow up without him, so we're making up for lost time. That's all it is." Matthew said.

"That's what Roger said. Damn...I should have listened to him. I really messed everything up." Kyle said. "Now Dan probably hates me after last night..."

"No, I don't think he does at all. He's always been defensive when it comes to me. If anyone back in Kanaloa tried anything with me, Dan would send them straight to the hospital." Matthew said. "Kyle, just go and apologise to him. He'll understand."

"You think it'll be that easy? I don't know what to say to him, really..." Kyle said.

"It might not be easy, but you have to try anyway! Come on, give it a go! Don't you have any idea where they went?"

"Well, I think he and the guys went to Takanawa." Kyle said. "We can go look for them there."

"Fine. And Kyle?" Matthew said. "Remember, you can talk to other people than Dan. And when are you just going to tell Serena how you feel?"

"What the - we're just friends!" Kyle said, embarrassed. "There's...no way I'd fall in love with someone from another dimension! But that reminds me. The Serena from here's still missing."

"Ah, I see. Worried, are you?" Matthew said, giving Kyle a wink. "Then let's go save your damsel in distress. I'll be the heroic knight's loyal sidekick."

"Hey, we're just going to find Dan! Serena might not show up just yet anyway." Kyle said. He didn't say it, but Matthew could just tell what he was hoping for.

"Then we better go!" Matthew said. "Takanawa, here I come!"

_Aeternus Headquarters, Medical Floor_

Josephine was still lying on her bed, unconscious. Alas, no one had arrived to visit her. Nihane was in his own quarters the entire day, and Nina was out on an emergency call in Farawell. Pierre was training, and Archibald couldn't care less what happened to Josephine. Thus, the Medical Floor was empty as ever, and rather dimly lit.

"Ah..."

Josephine opened her eyes. No longer in pain, she quickly got out of her bed, and changed into the clothes that had been provided for her - a long brown dress, a pair of high heel brown and gold boots, and a brown and orange silk scarf. Also, Josephine put on her favourite red arrings, and a pair of armoured gloves. She also noticed a pair of sleek red handguns, that looked lighter than her previous pair.

"Oh, you're finally awake. I was just coming to check on you."

Carlos entered the room, and gazed at Josephine's new weaponry. "Those were handpicked by Pierre. They should be far more capable than the guns you were using before. Of course, that depends on your aim."

"Be quiet. I didn't lose the battle because my aim was off. Nathan interfered! Clearly, he has it in for me!" Josephine said, glaring at the floor.

"I'm not surprised. You killed his mother and father, and virtually destroyed the company that had been in his family for generations. There isn't even a single Albion employee anymore." Carlos said, with a smug smirk. "Of course, we've already reaped the benefits of absorbing them."

"I don't need to be reminded by Nathan detests me." Josephine said. "When the Eternal Road is done, I'll have him for myself! Don't forget, Carlos. You have your reasons for doing this, too. Reasons strong enough for you to do things like I have."

"Yes, exactly. But even so, I won't kill people needlessly. I'm not like Pierre." Carlos said. "I won't become a mass murderer - directly, that is. Any deaths that result from the Shadows are because that is what fate decided."

"Fate. Such an interesting word. We'll have the chance to change our fates, very soon enough." Josephine scoffed. "Now then, Carlos…what are you going to do now?"

"Right now? I feel like exploring the streets. You never know when you might meet one of our enemies. I may run into the Holy Cross, like you did. If they were able to hold their own against you…we really have underestimated them. Of course, the Commander's mood has noticeably improved." Carlos said. "I'll leave you to it."

"Fine with me. Just remember your words - don't kill people needlessly. The next Divine Spark hasn't begun yet." Josephine said. "You understand that Nihane doesn't like waiting, yes? I'd hate to have to tell him you were the one that delayed our plans..."

"Please. He gives Nina enough hassle over that. I have no reason to be apprehensive around Nihane. May I leave now? This medical room is rather drab." Carlos said.

"Yes, go on ahead." Josephine said. Carlos quickly left the area, and Josephine gazed at her guns. Now who could she test these weapons on?

Smiling, she dashed downstairs. The Shadows wouldn't know what hit them.

_Takanawa, Ruined Arcade_

The Arcade here used to have a name. Yet, it had been forgotten by just about everyone. Many popular games were here, bringing in everyone when tournaments were held. Alas, in the early 2000's, the arcade closed. In the other world, the area had been turned into an apartment complex. Amara had once considered living there, but there were no decent art jobs going. Here, the arcade had been left to rot, and just about every cabinet had been exposed to the Shadows, as well as the weather. Thus, the rusted metal and cut wires would never function again.

"Damn." Roger said. "All of these machines are ruined. None of these parts are any good."

"What is it with you and taking apart machines? You planning on making a robot chick?" Blaine asked.

"Uh, no. I'm not even sure how I'd do that. Don't mock me like that! I'm just really into this stuff. You know, seeing what makes stuff tick." Roger said. "It feels weird, being apart from Karen..."

"I know what you mean. I'm surprised the girls went off to do their own thing. Oh well, at least us men can have some time by ourselves." Nathan said. Looking at Dan, he hesitated for a second. "Dan, about Kyle -"

"I don't wanna hear about him. No one badmouths my brother." Dan replied. "Now then, how many Shadows have we destroyed so far?"

"At least seventeen." Roger said. "Two ran away, and one of them got confused and killed another. Dumbass."

"I love it when that happens. Makes our lives easier!" Blaine said. "But we can't count on the Ater Vox to do that, can we? Although, Nathan, you really gave Josephine a pounding. Well done, man."

"It's not something I should brag about, knocking a woman unconscious." Nathan said. "Still, I have nothing but contempt for her. May she rot in hell."

"Yeah, same to all of those bastards. But that Archibald guy's different. He's weird. He never really gave me a hard time. In fact, one time I got really fucked up, and there wasn't anyone nearby who had a Dia spell. So he took me to the medical room, and...he brought me back to full health." Blaine said, scratching his head. "But after then, he was still the same old scientist freak. I bet even know, he's plotting something with the Shadows."

"When isn't he?" a voice said. A man leapt from the roof - it was Pierre, appearing rather maniacal. Holding his swords, he had the look of an axe murderer in him.

"Archie is...dedicated." a female's voice said. The next person to emerge from the rooftops was Nina, with evil radiating from every pore. "Well, isn't this a sorry looking group of men. Nathan, you're passable, but the others are just a bunch of middle aged losers!"

"What are you talking about, bitch? I'm only thirty years old!" Blaine said. "Heck, I'm younger than you're supposed to be!"

"He has a point, Nina. After all, we haven't aged one bit since we gained our Personas." Pierre said, smirking. "We can't die before the Divine Sparks appear, can we? That would make everything a complete waste of time!"

"Of course, one of us has a less...practical use for her immortality." Nina said. "Josephine is rather proud of her appearance. She's the only one who bothered to make herself look younger. Not that we can't see through the veneer of youth."

"Cut the crap!" Roger said. "What the fuck are you two doing here? Answer me!"

"My, such violence. I feel sorry for Ms Marshall. She must feel so threatened when you're agitated. I'd hate to see her make you mad...I doubt she could handle your little tantrums." Nina mocked. "You were rather spirited in our last fight, Roger. However, I'm not about to lose again today. That's why Pierre will step in, and help me bring you to your knees."

"Hahaha! You should consider giving yourselves up now!" Pierre chided. "With Loki's flames and Hel's blizzards, there's no way you scum can win!"

"Bring it on, Frenchy." Blaine said. "I'll show you what a real battle's like!"

"I used to have a rule that I'd never hit a girl. But with this bitch, I think I can break that rule! Say your prayers!" Dan roared.

Nathan stepped forward, but Blaine held him back. "What are you doing? I have to join in!" Nathan pleaded.

"Look, in case something goes wrong, we need to go find everyone else. The girls are in Farawell, so go find them and tell them what's going on. Trust me, this is the smart thing to do!" Blaine said. "So get going!"

"You'll be alright, won't you?" Nathan asked. "I wouldn't want you to get captured, after all that's happened…"

"Trust me on this one. I'll be just fine and dandy!" Blaine said. "You heard me, get a move on!" Nathan nodded, and ran back towards the NDD.

"So you're not just a muscle head after all…" Nina said. "I knew there was a reason we made you Commander. Now, if only you came back to us! I'm sure we could light you off with a light punishment for torture!"

"Sorry, baby. That's what I'll be doing to you! Mazionga!" Blaine roared, and Tlaloc's mighty thunder struck Pierre and Nina. Roger rushed forward, and struck Pierre many times, whilst Nina quickly dodged a shot from Dan.

"That's it. I'm going all out this time!" Pierre said. "Agi..."

Blaine burst out laughing as a pitiful ember hit him. "You fucking serious -"

"...dyne!"

Suddenly, the fire burned much brighter, and the sheer heat dazed Blaine. Before he could move, Nina quickly launched into a combo of fast sickle strikes, followed by a Bufudyne attack.

"Goddammit!" Blaine said, reeling with pain. "Tlaloc, get him!"

Tlaloc raised his hammer, and with a few fast swings, begun his Storm Slaughter attack. The medley of strikes finished with a thunderous attack that knocked Pierre backwards - and Roger quickly took advantage of this, by using his Laguna Rage repeatedly.

"Permafrost!" Nina summoned a tomb of ice to enclose Dan, who had been trying to fire his rifle at her to no avail. "Well then…I'd like to break the ice!"

"Nina, that was bad and you should feel bad." Pierre snarked.

"And you should just hurry up and defeat these idiots!" Nina barked. "Hel, you know what to do. Chilling Masscare!"

Hel raised her double-edged spear, and teleported on top of the icy tomb. Dan was immobilised, and could only watch at what happened next - Hel cut straight through the ice, and slashed him all over, causing the ice to shatter into sharp pieces. Dan's body, bloody from all the strikes, fell to the floor, somehow still breathing.

"Dan!" Blaine cried. "I'll get you for this, you stupid whore!"

"Well then, why don't you come and get me?" Nina said, smiling with evil flowing throughout her voice. "You're not looking so well, are you?"

"Shut the fuck up!" Roger screamed. "I had enough of you back at the promenade! Laguna Rage - what?"

The gushing water definitely hit Nina, but her body completely vanished. Roger gazed all over, trying to figure out where the woman went - but all he saw was Pierre, who had been rather quiet.

"Looking for someone?" Pierre said. "Drop them a message and they'll get straight back to you!"

"Don't mess me around, you queer!" Roger snarled. "I'm gonna stab your heart out!"

Blaine started to run after Roger, but something stopped him. Something was grabbing his leg, and refused to give way. "The hell?"

Roger attacks Pierre many times, whilst avoiding the vast range of his swords. Eventually, Roger had Kanaloa use Kraken Lance, an improved version of Impaling Havoc.

"Die!" Roger shouted, over the sound of Kanaloa's trident. This time, all the attacks seemed to carry the power of water, and these assaults were many in number. Pierre suddenly fell to the ground, and his body disintegrated.

"Holy shit, dude! You got him!" Blaine said. "Now what about this thing - WHOA!"

Roger could only observe as Blaine was swung into the air by an invisible target. Just then, an icy tomb enclosed him, and Blaine was trapped. Then, furious flames erupted from the ground, blasting the giant ice prison into what looked like many ice cubs.

"What the hell just happened?!" Roger exclaimed. However, something kicked him to the ground. Roger looked up…Pierre was there, grinning evilly. Nina was right beside him, pleased at her handiwork.

"What a classless fool! You obviously can't cope with my illusions!" Pierre goaded. "Truth is…we were in control the entire time."

"That's right. Now that we've dispatched all three of you, we can begin transporting you to your holding cells. I'm sure you'll be of great use to Nihane!" Nina said. "Pierre! This will be my accomplishment. You were merely my assistant!"

"I don't think so, Nina. You couldn't have used the Melting Malady without my flames, nor would you have been able to fool them as well as I can!" Pierre said, glowering.

"Oh, hush. It's about time Nihane acknowledged my efforts. Are we going to stand here bickering all day?" Nina crossed her arms, glaring into Pierre's eyes. "Remember, Pierre. You know what I need the Eternal Road for. And what you desire with it's power, of course."

"Shit!" Blaine said. "What now?!"

"Think of something! I'm out of ideas!" Roger said.

_Meanwhile…_

"Hey! I remember this street. There's an arcade near here…" Kyle said. "It must be in ruins now, like everything else."

"Oh..." Matthew said. "Aren't there any other arcades running in this city anymore?"

"Well, not really. There might be a few working machines left, but no one's willing to go outside to go play Time Crisis or Virtua Fighter." Kyle said. "So I just emulate them."

"Is that even legal?" Matthew asked. "Wait, forget that I asked. I've just thought of an idea. I'll have to check a few things out before I go through with it, though."

"Oh. Okay then." Kyle said. "Now come on, we have to find Dan!"

"Hey, just a quick question. What happened to your father?" Matthew asked. "I know what happened to your mother…it must have been horrifying. But your father, is he still around?"

"I have no idea. He and my mother broke up, and he left her for another woman. I never heard anything about him since then." Kyle said. "He might be dead now…but I never knew him that well. Mom was the one who took care of me, anyway."

"Ah. So you really are on your own..." Matthew said, deep in thought. "Hey, tell me about what you did with the wheelchair!"

"Oh, my modifications? Well, I just wanted to be able to move a lot more freely then I could in a regular model. It sucks not being able to walk, big time." Kyle said. "So, I made it able to fly - but not for very long. And it has a few guns built in. Also, it's got a few networking capabilities, so I can access data anywhere I go."

"Sweet. You really are something…" Matthew said. "I was never any good at that stuff. My talent was investigating. That's why I went into the police force."

"Matthew, how come you're being so nice to me today?" Kyle asked. "We've never really been close."

"True. But you know, it feels familiar. Like I'm supposed to look out for ya." Matthew said, smiling. "I dunno why, but it's pretty nice. Like I've got a little brother of my own! It must be like Dan when he's watching my back."

"Brothers...I wish I had siblings. You had so much fun with your big brother, more than I did on my own." Kyle said. "It sucked..."

"It's not too late. Remember what I told you? Dan wants you to come live with him. As for me, I dunno what I'll do. The village is boring as hell. The city could use someone to help re-establish law and order, and I think I'd be good at that." Matthew said. "So when it's over, all of us will still be working out, rebuilding the city."

"It'll take a while to do that, won't it?" Kyle said. "I mean, not just the architecture. The economy, the government, and just about everything. We'll have to start all over again."

"The best things in life are never easy. But we can do it." Matthew said. "But we've got plenty of time to worry about the future. Let's find Dan!"

"Wait a second! That's him over there!" Kyle said, pointing towards the arcade.

Dan was collapsed on the floor, and Blaine and Roger were looking worse for wear. Nina and Pierre, of the Ater Vox, were there, brandishing their weapons.

"Pierre!" Kyle screamed.

"Kyle...?" Dan groaned.

"Ah, look who it is. Back up has arrived. Who's that with him?" Pierre said.

"That's Matthew Kingsley, wielder of Acolnahuacatl." Nina said, shrugging. "They're just kids! We'll just take them down too!"

"Kyle, watch out!" Matthew said. "Pierre and Nina are dangerous. They just defeated Dan and the others! We need a plan."

"Too late for that. They've seen us already. And I won't be defeated by him!" Kyle said. His hands were shaking…and his eyes burned bright with sheer hatred. Pierre shrugged, and Loki appeared behind him.

"Nina, would you mind if I dealt with these two alone? We can add it to my list of accomplishments, too. Then we're both winners." Pierre said, grinning.

"Oh, for the love of - fine, do it!" Nina said. "Just hurry up and finish this!"

"Gale Claw!" Matthew cried out. Acolnahuacatl pounced out of Matthew's body, and raced across the area, knocking Pierre down.

"What the-" Pierre said, stunned. "How could that thing be so fast?!"

"Soaring Phoenix!" Kyle, looking up at Hephaestus, opened a new power within him. Hephaestus formed burning feathery wings, illuminating the area. Holding his sword aloft, Hephaestus soared at Pierre, blasting him with burning hot flames.

Pierre, despite the strength of Kyle's new move, burst out laughing. The fire hadn't hurt him at all. So, this was his true strength…fire. Kyle only had one other element - Earth. If that didn't work, he'd have to leave it to Matthew…

"What's the matter? You sad your new party trick didn't work?" Pierre taunted, standing up. "It's too bad. It was pretty flashy. But not half as good as mine!"

Suddenly, Pierre disappeared again. Matthew checked the area around him, but Pierre was nowhere. Even Nina didn't seem to know where he was. Then, Kyle saw it. Behind Matthew, a small distortion with the scenery. A faint trail of red smoke.

"Magnadyne!" Kyle screamed, his body raging with power.

"What the - argh!" Matthew fell over from fright, and he gasped. Behind him was Pierre, having been hit by a mighty blast of rocks. Nina gasped.

"How the hell did he do that!?" Dan wheezed.

"The nerve of this brat!" Pierre screeched. "How in blazes did you see me?!"

"Simple - you didn't turn invisible. You actually just cloaked yourself to blend in with the environment. But I could just make out the trail of Loki." Kyle said. "Now then...since fire's no good on you, let's see if rock will beat scissors!"

"Uh, Kyle? I see what you were going for, but-"

"Quiet, Matthew. Just help me out here. Hephaestus! Use your blade with Acolnahuacatl's claws!" Kyle commanded.

"Oh, I see what you're doing. Not bad, fella." Matthew said. "Okay! My claws and your blade, together as one!"

The panther like Persona pounced on Pierre, scratching him countless times. Each successive hit grew more and more power, and the claws never dulled - they were as knives, slicing through flesh. Only Pierre's Persona ability was enough to literally save his skin. As Acolnahuacatl did this, Hephaestus's hand glowed, with a bright, shining light.

"Go! **Primal Hazard**!" Kyle and Matthew cried out. Hephaestus quickly drew his sword, and slashed Pierre at the same time as Acolnahuacatl swiped at him with both claws.

Pierre, kneeling on the floor, dropped his weapons. His body was covered with blood, and his clothes were torn to pieces. He fell over, desperately trying to breathe.

"Impossible!" Nina exclaimed. "Archibald, Josephine, and Pierre, all defeated?! That's not possible!" Angry, she ran over to him, and groaned. "You idiot! You should have realised this would happen if you fought alone!"

"Nina...kill that cripple and that rookie cop! Make him pay...for what he's done!" Pierre wheezed.

"I don't take orders from anyone other than Nihane. If Kyle perishes at my hand, it will be on my own directives! Now be quiet!" Nina said, and she kicked Pierre's bloody leg. Ignoring his whining, she stared at the angry boy in the wheelchair.

"It's just like before! Nina, you can't win!" Kyle said. "If you want to lay a finger on Dan and Matthew, you'll have to get through me first!"

"Will you just shut up? God, I am so tired of having to endure your rambling!" Nina yelled. "Now then, you can make as many inspirational speeches as you like, but they won't do you any good now! You're running out of steam already. I can tell. But I'll have you frozen to death in minutes!"

"...You shut your fucking face!" Dan uttered, and he managed to get himself off the ground, rifle firmly in his clutches. "You picked the wrong guys to mess with, you hear me?"

"What the - I thought I knocked you out!" Nina said, incredulous. "No matter. What goes up, must come down. Or so they say. Bufudyne -"

"Ziodyne!" Blaine roared.

The flash of lightning broke through, and hit Nina before her perilous ice could manifest. Kyle quickly raced forward in his wheelchair, and swung at her with every bit of force he could muster. Matthew darted at Nina, and slashed her up with his knives.

"Stupid amateur! You're all show!" Nina said, blocking the multitude of attacks. "Right! I'm putting a stop to this fight right now!"

"No you won't. I will, big sis."

"Huh? That's -" Kyle exclaimed. "You! You're here!"

Serena was right there, ready to attack. Her hair looked slightly longer, and Kyle thought she looked better with it that way.

"Serena! You're back!" Nina wailed, shocked. "How _dare_ you show yourself in front of me! You're no sister of mine!"

"Of course I'm not. After all, you had the gall to attempt to kill Kyle! I won't let him fall now. So I've got something to show you!" Serena said. "Guys, you keep her busy. I'll go help Blaine and Roger."

"Right!" Matthew said. "Hyper Strike!"

"Searing Sequence!" Kyle hollered.

"Hey..." Serena said, looking at Blaine's beaten body. "Looks like you bit off more than you could chew. Just as well you have me!"

"Heh. I knew you were coming back. Good girl!" Blaine said, smiling. "Now make with the healing!"

"Okay, okay! Don't be such a slavedriver!" Serena said. "Diarahan!"

"_Diarahan?! _Your skills have advanced that far?!" Nina screamed. "No, that can't be right! You weren't meant to become this powerful!"

"Fake Persona powers will only get you so far. Me, I'm all natural! Here you go, mister." Serena said, and she healed Roger as well.

"Damn. Why am I always at the mercy of pretty teenage girls? If Karen hears about this, she's going to go crazy!" Roger said.

"Roger, why in the actual fuck are you worried about that at a time like this?" Blaine said, bewildered. "Get with it!"

"Now then..." Serena said, glaring at her older sister. Artemis appeared behind her, shining with pale moonlight throughout. "The Divine Sparks are powerful beasts to be sure. But I rose from the shadows, all because I knew of one thing. I had to come back and finish what I started! So here it comes! Titanic Rainfall!"

Titanic was no overstatement. A mighty sphere of crystal clear blue water materialised around Nina, causing a bit of pain. Nina swung at it, but the sphere flew upwards, and shined in the sunlight. Then, many large raindrops fell from the sphere, crashing into Nina's body. Finally, after a mighty monsoon, the sphere grew even larger, and collided with Nina, exploding. The building she was next to - a small chapel - was completely crushed by the sheer velocity of the water.

Nina's cries of pain were cut short, as she collapsed. Pierre tried to move towards her, but his body was still writhing in agony itself.

"We did it!" Kyle said. He was exhausted, but also exhilarated. The girl he was waiting for was back, and she was doing just fine. "Serena, you're so amazing!"

"Thanks, Kyle! You did pretty well yourself. I didn't imagine you could stand fighting two Ater Vox at once!" Serena said. Smiling, she bent down, and ruffled Kyle's hair. "Now then, why haven't you had your hair cut yet? You'd look so much cuter with a shorter look!"

"I like it this way. It makes me look intellectual!" Kyle said, offended.

"Well, maybe it would if you brushed it more!" Serena said. "But who cares? I'm just so glad you're safe!"

"Me too!" Kyle said. "Now then...Pierre. I have to finish him for good-"

"Oh, I can't allow that. That would be most dishonourable."

Carlos Nadal was already there. How he got there so fast, no one could figure out. He was gazing at the sorry sight of Nina and Pierre before him, and shook his head.

"Carlos! Why didn't you arrive earlier?!" Pierre shouted, his hands bleeding.

"Simple. I wanted to see how well you could manage against these fools." Carlos said. "Unfortunately, you didn't perform nearly as well as Nihane expected. As it stands, I'm the only one yet to have been defeated."

"You..." Blaine said. "Get out of the way! Nina and Pierre have breathed their last!"

"No, Commander. Not just yet." Carlos said. "This is not the most honourable way to settle matters, is it? The time will come when you can have your battle, and fight to the death. Until then, I'll have to retrieve my fallen comrades. You've dealt them some serious injuries, after all."

"Fine, go ahead! Just remember, when we have to fight you again, you'll just end up like them!" Roger said. "So hurry the hell up and get lost!"

"I wouldn't be too excited if I were you. Nihane is the absolute pinnacle of the Persona ability. Even if you were to fight him all at once, he would simply swat you like flies." Carlos snarled. He lifted Nina's body, and after treading over Pierre's body, helped him up as well. Ignoring Pierre's anguished cries, he disappeared into the darkness.

"Damn. We never do get the chance to finish them off!" Roger said. "Next time, I'm not letting them stop us!"

"Looks like you finally switched sides. What about the others? The Holy Cross, Amara, Nathan - they okay?" Serena asked.

Blaine smiled, and Serena blinked. "Well, my friend, the news is...all of them are back! We were just waiting for you to turn up!"

"Yeah! Where have you even been?" Kyle asked. "I thought you were gone for sure!"

"Well, I came round not long ago. But I tried to stay out of sight for the time being. It wasn't easy, but I managed to survive. But now they know we're all alive and well…and we're going to do our level best to destroy Aeternus." Serena said. "Looks like we've got some new members, too!"

"Yeah. This is Matthew, Dan's younger brother." Kyle said. "And this is Roger. There's a lot of stuff to tell you, actually."

"I can imagine. It's August now..." Serena said. "Are the guys from the other world here today?"

"Nah, but they'll be here again soon enough. I dunno why, but they're always here when something big happens! Except today, of course." Blaine said, still smiling. "Come on, gimme a hug! I missed you too!"

Serena quickly hugged Blaine, and then gave Kyle an even bigger hug. Dan smirked, and gave Matthew a thumbs up.

"Young love...so sweet, isn't it?" Matthew said. "Shame you two never had childhood sweethearts…"

"You kiddin' me, boy? We had tons of them! Granted, none of them lasted, but..." Dan said. Blaine suddenly looked alarmed about something, and stared away. "What's up, Blaine?"

"Oh...Blaine. I have something to ask you. It's about a certain Lucille Victoria Crossman, of the Clairdol Village Police Department." Matthew said. The mere mention of this name made Blaine's eyes widen with horror. "Yeah, I thought you knew her. She was the one that took care of you, wasn't she?"

"...So what if she was?" Blaine said. "We were just friends, that's all-"

"Okay, then why did she run away from the village and try to get in the city?" Matthew said. "She hasn't been found outside, either, so she must have gotten in either via the hidden NDD, or the entrance to Inanis!"

"I...don't know. I didn't think she'd do something that stupid..." Blaine said, anxious.

"I have a feeling you're not telling the whole truth." Matthew said. "But the point is, this Lucy is wandering the city as we speak! If she's been in here as long as you've been back, she's in big trouble!"

"Okay, I get it! Just mind your own business!" Blaine said. "Let me deal with her."

"Blaine, what did you and Lucy get up to over there? Do you even remember that your other self is going out with a Lucy, too?" Dan asked. "If he finds out, he'll go crazy!"

"I told you, nothing happened like that!" Blaine exclaimed. "Please, dude, just let me handle it. I don't want you two involved."

"Fine. But you better not leave any stones unturned. If she doesn't survive, then I'm holding you responsible." Matthew said, angrily. "I may be Dan's kid brother, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm never off duty."

The atmosphere was now unbearable. No one felt like speaking a single word, the excitement over Serena's safe return having already dissipated.

"Okay, so now that we've got the awkward part out of the way, can we go back now? I want to say hi to the others!" Serena said. "And I'm part of the team now, so you know what that means! We need to have a party to celebrate!"

"Sounds good to me! Pretzels sound good?" Kyle asked.

"Well, I'm not keen on them, but since you love them so much...go on then!" Serena said, smiling. "Alright, let me see this secret base of yours!"

"Don't get so excited. They don't even have a lampshade!" Roger said, laughing.

The group left, heading for the Secret Base. Now, everyone thought to have perished was alive and well. Soon, they would have enough power to end all their sorrows, and begin to rebuild the city. No matter how hard Nihane tried, he could never break their wills.

But was he truly as powerful as Carlos said?


	54. Chapter 54: Deadly Melody

**Chapter 54: Deadly Melody  
**

_De Niro's, Farawell_

De Niro's was another Italian restaurant in the city. It was rather quiet, which made it perfect for a romantic dinner for too. In fact, the team were the largest group there. Amara loved it right away - the dim lighting, the candles on the tables, the beautiful paintings of Venice, Sicily and Rome all around, as well as the smell of the best garlic bread in town. The team were seated at a table in the corner, next to a girl sitting by herself. Amara didn't know her, but from the way she was fidgeting, checking her watch, she was probably waiting for a date - who was late. Zao had never been late - he made it his mission to never make Amara wait.

"Wow!" Serena said. "When Blaine said he was taking us out for dinner, I didn't think he'd push the boat out this much!"

"I'll say. Who'd have thought he'd pay for the trendiest Italian in town?" Nathan said, impressed.

"Come on, guys. I just wanted to treat you guys. Ever since I started work last night, I've been feelin' fantastic!" Blaine said, proudly. "Tending the bar is what I was born for!"

"It must feel odd, being near so much alcohol and not being able to drink any of it." Zao said.

"You really think I'm some kind of alcoholic, Zao? I just know how to have a damn good time." Blaine said, smiling. "And from my years of drinking with my buddies, I've picked up on how to make others feel great too."

"Well, congratulations." Nathan said, sincerely. "At least we won't have to hear you complain about this job!"

"C'mon Nathan, I didn't whine to you guys that much. ...Okay, maybe a little. Dan said the exact same thing, actually." Blaine said. "But who cares! So, you guys ARE ordering from the set menu, right?"

"Ah..." Amara said, grinning. "So you're not pushing that boat out very far, are you?"

"Well, uh..." Blaine said, looking shifty. "I haven't actually gotten paid yet, so-"

"Alright, we get the picture! The set menu has a lot of great things on it, anyway. There's even a few fish main courses for Zao." Serena said. "I just hope the pizza's better than it was last time I was here.."

After the team ordered - from the set menu, of course - Amara spoke up.

"Hey. I was wondering about the Other Serena." Amara said. "How come we haven't met her yet?"

"Me?" Serena asked, surprised. "Oh, the other me is probably just fine! I bet she'll be kicking my sister's butt in no time. And so will I!"

"Just curious, Serena, but do your parents know you're out with us?" Nathan asked. "I mean, we've been meeting quite a lot over the last couple of months."

"Nah, I don't tell 'em anything. They don't really care what I do, anyways." Serena said. "My dad is such an idiot. All he takes about is getting passed over for promotions. People who used to be his friends become his enemies when they get promoted above him! It's pathetic! No wonder he doesn't have anyone to go out drinking with him anymore!"

"So you're not exactly a daddy's girl, then." Zao said. "I guess not every dad can be as cool as Amara's!"

"Tell me about it. My dad just had to have a wandering eye..." Nathan lamented. "But...he's still a pretty cool father."

"My dad's boring as heck. He's a car salesman. Fun." Zao said. "What about your dad, Blaine?"

"...Mine?" Blaine looked up. "He...died when I was ten."

"I'm sorry to hear that..." Amara said.

"Relax, would ya?" Blaine said, trying to smile - but his sadness wasn't weak enough to be covered by his facial expression. "That was twenty years ago. Heck, Serena here wasn't even around then, and you and Zao were just babies!"

"Okay, so did you get along with your dad?" Zao asked.

"Yeah. He was the best." Blaine said. His voice wavered a little, as if he was about to burst into tears. "Whenever he came home from work, I'd bolt to the front door and bug him about his day, what I did at school, and get him to take me to the park. And he always had time for me. He was one heck of a guy." He quickly wiped his eye, and Amara could tell what he was wiping away. So not only had Blaine lost Matthew...his father was gone.

"This sucks. Your dads are all better than mine." Serena said. "This is getting me even more down. Let's change the subject! We're looking for new Persona users, yeah? Death, Devil, and Fortune?"

"Yeah, that's right. The thing is, Stella told me some stuff about those new guys. She said that we'd meet two Death and two Devil Persona users. One Death and one Devil will stay with us...the others won't survive." Amara said, nervously.

"Holy crap. So we'll be meeting five new Persona users!" Zao said. "That'll be interesting. Bring it on!"

"Zao, she did say they wouldn't survive. That doesn't sound like much fun to me." Serena said, shaking her head.

"What about Fortune?" Nathan asked. "Are there two of those?"

"No, from what Stella told me, it'll just be one Fortune. But...crap, I don't remember what she said would happen. All I know is that it won't be plain sailing. Even so, we'll be alright. We can take on anything, right?" Amara said, glancing at the others.

"Yeah!" Blaine said, giving Amara a fist bump. "Nothing we can't handle!"

The team ate their meal, enjoying the calm before the storm. And it would be a storm they would remember.

_Aeternus Headquarters, Pierre's Office_

Pierre was on his phone, listening to the irate voice on the other end. Clearly, he wasn't the patient type. Pierre groaned, listening to the cavalcade of swears and insults.

"Listen up, you fucking pansy! I know what I told ya! If the guy with the Persona turns up, I'll tell you guys. But he hasn't come back since he got turned down by that woman he likes!" the man shouted.

"First of all, sir, you haven't provided me with your name. All I know is that The Mole is owned by Kaman Barrs, whom I know nothing about. Is he aware of the situation?" Pierre asked.

"Uh...I...no, he fucking isn't! Listen, we need a plan! I dunno where the fuck to find this guy!" the rude man said. "But if I bring him to you, you'll give me what I asked for, right?"

"Be quiet. We're the ones in control here. If it wasn't for us, the Shadows would have devoured every single inhabitant of this city." Pierre chided. "So my advice to you, sir, is to keep your mouth shut. Unless you can have Daniel Kingsley return to The Mole, then I have no obligation to grant your selfish request."

"You stuck-up piece of shit...fine, I'll do what I can. Do what you want to him, I don't give a shit. I just need her back, you got that?!" the man screamed, hanging up.

"Heh." Pierre said. "I don't think I'll be relying on a delinquent with a vocabulary to bring me one of the rebels. I think it's time to boost our public image today..."

Just then, Carlos knocked on the door.

"Come in, Carlos. This better be important."

Carlos stepped in, looking serious. "Nihane wants to see you and Nina. He's not happy about how badly you screwed up."

"Dammit. I knew I'd have to kiss up to him sooner or later." Pierre said. "In that case, Carlos, there's something I was going to do today - that I'd like you to handle."

"Really? You're delegating tasks to another one of the Ater Vox?" Carlos said, raising his eyebrows. "I've never taken orders from you before. What's in it for me?"

"Oh, you're not taking orders, per say. Think of it as doing me a favour. I will repay you in anyway you please!" Pierre said, smiling evilly.

"In that case...if you ever find a new Persona user, you will deliver them to me and me alone." Carlos said. "After all, I'm the only one still in favour with Nihane. Your name is mud with him, just like the others."

"What?! You just found a new one! That rather abrasive madam..." Pierre shouted. "Why the hell should I do that for you?"

"Do you want me to do this favour for you or not? You're keeping Nihane waiting. He may be forced to unleash that Equinox of his. You of course remember how many Shadows survived that day." Carlos said.

"...Fine." Pierre said, standing up. "Then listen to me carefully. There's a bar called The Mole, and a person there promised to capture a regular customer of his and hand them over to me. That customer is Daniel Kingsley, whom I have met in battle once before. That idiotic man has no grace at all! He just throws his weight around, like the big lout he is!"

"Alright, so..." Carlos said, intrigued.

"The man who contacted me is even worse. He claims to be another customer at the bar, but his name I cannot ascertain. He has repeatedly failed to get Daniel to stay at this sorry excuse for an establishment, and I've grown tired of his empty promises. See to it that punishment is delivered!" Pierre said, with a sadistic laugh.

"From the way you're chuckling, you have something rather...extreme in mind." Carlos said. "I take it you wish for a Death Penalty?"

"Yes. Not just him, though. Everyone there, and the entire building. We'll claim the Shadows did it, and we can issue a statement that we're tightening security in that area. It'll be a perfect PR opportunity." Pierre said.

"You're a cruel fellow, Pierre Leonard. Still, I have no other errands for tonight. I will fulfil this favour, as long as you uphold your promise." Carlos said.

_The Mole_

Kaman sat behind the bar, slouching at the wall. A shelf had just collapsed, breaking a dozen expired bottles. Their foul liquids poured all over the floor, unleashing a pungent aroma. Even so, Kaman hadn't the energy to clean it up. Every glass was filthy, every window was boarded up, and the karaoke machine had been gathering dust in the corner for as long as Kaman remembered.

This was a far cry from his first night. The place was packed, filled with lively people, young and old. With soft music playing quietly in the background, everyone was having a great time. This was Kaman's dream ever since he was a teenager - to own and run his own bar. What made it worthwhile was not only the joy and energy of the customers, but the smiles of Maria.

Maria. Beautiful, loving, Maria. She never lived to see her personal dream realised…and Kaman had never been the same after that. Without her, nothing made sense. Why breathe? Why eat? Why sleep? Why bother living in a ruined city, when only one person could make it worth getting up in the morning to face it? That person was gone forever, and the essence of hope had faded completely.

He let people who had lost everything stay with his bar. Some, like him, had lost their wives. Even their own children. Instead of feeling sympathy, terrifying envy raged within him. The family he planned on having with Maria would never happen. However, one man staying at the bar resonated with him.

Daniel Kingsley...he used to be a hopeless man, despondent after the loss of his brother, his best friend, and his home. He never had any major dreams in life, other than raising his brother to the best of his abilities. He, like Kaman, had lost every bit of hope he had in his heart. All he wanted then was an endless supply of beer, no matter how foul it tasted.

"Dan...you got lucky." Kaman said to himself. "You got your bro back. Now you think you can have a girl, too. Lucky bastard!"

"Kaman, who are you talking to?" Shirley asked. "Aren't you going to clean that mess up?"

"No point...no one gives a shit." Kaman said, shrugging. "You think Dan's ever coming back?"

"I...uh..." Shirley said, blushing. "I'm not sure."

"How come you turned him down?" Kaman asked. "Too old for ya?"

"Uh-I-um-stop asking me about him!" Shirley shouted. "It's just...I can't..."

"Ah, don't bother. It's not like it would have ended well anyway." Kaman said, bitterly.

"What do you mean by that?" Shirley asked.

"You know what I mean. He's got the power to fight the Shadows. You don't. If you went along with him, you'd just get yourself killed." Kaman said, shaking his head. "So you probably made the right choice in the long run."

"...I've made a decision." Shirley said. "I'm leaving this place."

"What the - you're not going anywhere, missy. You've got nowhere else to go!" Kaman said, angrily. "You remember the deal, right? You stay here and play that piano, and you'll stay alive. You won't find that Lucy chick outside, not now!"

"Be quiet! I know it sounds ridiculous, but I know I'll find Lucy someday. That's all I've really thought about! And..." Shirley said. "I'll survive. I'll find a way to get by, trust me!"

"But you already turned Dan down. He would have gladly been your knight in shining armour. What, do you think the Ornatu Legion are gonna help you? Don't be stupid!" Kaman said, grabbing Shirley's arm. "Listen to me, lady. You're the only reason Dan comes here. And I need him back. Now!"

"Lemme go - what was that?!" Shirley screamed, as demonic sounds echoed throughout the building. A man sleeping on the floor - not an uncommon sight here - woke up, barely sober.

"Greetings, Kaman Barrs. My, that's a rather appropriate surname for you, isn't it?"

Carlos Nadal entered the main area, with two powerful knight-like Shadows beside him. He ignored the drunk man's incoherent rambling, and stared directly at Kaman and Shirley.

"Who are you?!" Shirley asked.

"Carlos Nadal." Kaman said, stunned. "You were there when-"

"That's correct, Mr Barrs. That was when your wife fell victim to the Shadows." Carlos said, looking at the ones accompanying him. "Now then...I've heard from Pierre about a man who's made false promises about handing over Daniel Kingsley. Who might that be?"

"What's he got to do with this?" Kaman asked.

"Simple. He's one of the Persona users actively fighting against us." Carlos said. "Tracking him down would be rather beneficial for our cause. And…you two don't seem surprised at my mention of his power. You at least know that much about him, I see. Witholding critical information is a crime in our eyes. I won't let that go unpunished."

"I...um..." Shirley said. "What are you going to do to Dan?!"

"Oh, whatever it takes to get the information we need out of him. Then he will be sacrificed, along with the others." Kaman said. "But it seems Dan has stopped visiting this establishment, and thus, the promise is broken. So I'll have to find the culprit, and punish them, as well as you two."

"What the - why? Can't you just tell them off?!" Kaman said. "These guys have already lost everything, just like me!"

"Just like you...yes. Their reasons for living have all faded away, yet the memories of those reasons burn inside their hearts forever. Without those reasons, their lives are without purpose. Now, if you know which man wasted our precious time, tell me right now. If not, I may have to eradicate all of your clientele - and save them from their suffering." Carlos said, raising his fists.

"Shit." Kaman said. "You're really going to kill all of these people, aren't ya?"

"It might seem cruel, but it's for the best. For their sake, I will make their end quick and painless. There is no need to make their last breath one of torment." Carlos said.

"Kaman! What are we going to do?" Shirley said. "Is he really going to kill us, too?"

"I...dunno. But I'm not letting him get away with this!" Kaman said, clenching his own fists. "Carlos, you're going down"

"Oh, is that so? Not only do you lack the power, you don't even have a reason to fight me. Dear Maria perished long ago. Why prolong such a solitary, empty life? I could deliver you salvation right here and now. There's no need to make it such agony for both your body and soul." Carlos said. "I'm not a sadist here. But I'm here to exact judgment on those who take us for granted."

"Grr..." Kaman said. He had lost his nerve already, from the mere mention of Maria's name. What now? He had no Persona, and neither did Shirley. Instead, he would have to sit back and watch as his drunken customers, whose names he had never remembered, be slain. So what was he to do?

_Secret Base_

"Welcome back, everyone. I wish we had news, but unfortunately, nothing has happened." Aimee said, looking sad.

"That's okay, as long as everything's still fine here." Nathan said. "Wait a second. Why are you smiling like that? Has Zao rubbed off on you?"

Aimee kept quiet, and nodded at Kyle. The lad also grinned, struggling to contain his laughter.

"The heck is with you guys tonight?" Blaine asked.

"Weren't you listening, Blaine? I've rubbed off on them!" Zao said, smiling as usual.

"Okay, but why is Kyle trying so hard not to laugh? I did remember to brush my hair, right?" Serena asked. "Seriously, what is -"

"BOO!"

Serena jumped out of skin, as her alter ego jumped right in front of her. Amara yelped too, as did the others. Kyle finally broke out into howls of laughter, along with the rest of the team.

"No way!" Amara said, stunned. "It's the other Serena!"

"Yup, that's me!" Other Serena said. "We could say they saved the best till last. It took me forever to find you guys. I dunno what happened, really. I was in the church when the Divine Spark occurred, that I remember. But then everything went really funky, and I was back in the city. In fact, I helped Kyle and Matthew fight my sister."

"Nina..." Serena looked at her necklace, touching it with her fingertips. "Oh. This is the first chance I've really had to talk to my other self, but I read the diary, so I know most of what happened."

"You did? Well, I guess I don't mind if it's the other me." Other Serena said. "I mean, we were the same exact person until ten years ago. Pretty strange, isn't it? Anyway, Seraphina said something about having to fight Carlos next. His strength is vast, and every punch he throws is like an unavoidable hurricane. We'll need to be ready before we meet up with him."

"Hey, I've seen them in intense training sessions with each other. Out of all six of them, Nihane's the only one who never lost a single battle. Everyone else, we can handle - without getting carried away." Other Blaine said. "But Carlos is the one with the most wins. It comes from his days as a boxer. The bastard can throw a punch better than I can."

"Okay, but we're not necessarily going to fight him tonight, are we?" Amara said. "We shouldn't worry about it for now. Instead, we need to continue the hunt for the remaining people! And with Serena's other self here, that's one off the list!"

"It's kind of weird, fighting alongside another me. What surprised me the most was you and Kyle being so close in your reality…" Other Serena said, gazing at Kyle. "Perhaps it really is fate."

Seraphina suddenly let out a painful yell, clutching her head. Aimee and Other Amara dashed over to her, trying to soothe her.

"Seraphina! What's going on?" Aimee asked.

"Punishment...man who commands the winds of darkness...two who seek a loved one...living or dead...confrontation in...underground bar..." Seraphina finally recovered, but she appeared dazed and disoriented. "What the - what came over me?"

"You had another psychic vision!" Aimee said. "But...what did it mean?"

"Underground bar?" Dan asked. "Fuck! She's talking about The Mole! Carlos is trying to kill Kaman and - and-"

"Shirley..." Matthew said.

"Carlos! I still haven't forgotten what he did to Adrian. I may not have known him in this world, but I still feel like I loved him. Like he was part of my whole life. He's not going to get away with ruining people's lives again!" Tara stood up, desperate to leave. "We're going! Now!"

"Dan?" Other Blaine said, worried.

"You heard what she said, Blaine! Shirley's in trouble. And I gotta jump in and save her!" Dan raged. "C'mon, you know I have to do this. I can't let her die, not until she finds Lucy again."

"Wait a second. Shirley...and Lucy?" Blaine said, shocked. "Does this Shirley have blue hair?"

"Yeah. How'd you know that?" Dan asked. "Wait a minute, you -"

"She's my girlfriend's best friend! And...my girlfriend is called Lucy. Lucille Victoria Crossman, to be exact." Blaine said. Now, he looked concerned himself.

"...I see." Matthew said, gazing at the other Blaine. Both Blaines were silent, and the air had become increasingly tense. Amara knew why her world's Blaine would be worried - apart from him, Lucy's favourite person in the entire world was Shirley. Matthew seemed to react to Lucy's name, for some reason. What was going on? Could Lucy be in this world too?

"Alright, we'd better hurry." Aimee said. "We're heading out-"

"No. Hecate's telling me about something else." Seraphina suddenly said, concentrating. "There's a strange sensation coming from somewhere in Saragel, a stadium where a soccer team used to play."

"What? C'mon, we're late! I have to go, right now!" Dan shouted. "Get someone else to go figure this shit out!"

"Fine, then four of you can go. Let's see. I'll pick Dan, Blaine - our Blaine - Matthew and Tara. The rest of us can investigate the stadium." Aimee said. "I'll have Seraphina communicate with you guys when we're finished."

"Whatever, do what you want! I have to get the fuck out of here, now!" Dan hurriedly pushed the code in on the NDD, and he, Other Blaine, Matthew and Tara followed.

"I hope Shirley's going to be alright. Carlos is dangerous…" Roger said, worried.

"Normally, I'd trust Dan, but at times like these he really lets his emotions get to him. I just hope he doesn't get into trouble…" Priscilla said.

Shirley…yes, she had seen her in this world before. She was the pretty woman playing the piano at The Mole. Her vibrant blue hair, and her matching eyes stood out, and she was the only thing giving that awful place any sort of life. Dan had been going there for a very long time…no wonder he was so desperate to rescue her. Amara did like talking to Shirley, even if most of the time it was about how Lucy was 'misunderstood'. Indeed, Shirley was the person Lucy held dear, deep in her heart. Something felt strange, however. Shirley was looking for Lucy in this world. That was touching, except Lucy formerly lived somewhere in America. She wouldn't have been able to move into the city in this dimension, not unless she somehow found the NDD - or worse, made it into Inanis. So Shirley was hoping for something that in all likelihood would never come to pass.

"Aimee..." Seraphina said.

"What is it now?" Aimee said. "Is there something up with the stadium?"

"Well, yes, but there is something I must urge you to do. Go with Dan, Tara, Matthew and Blaine. Right now!" Seraphina pleaded. "If not, they may not survive - the entire building is in jeopardy."

"Oh...well, alright." Aimee said. "Everyone else, go to the stadium. Hopefully, it's just a Shadow gone wild."

Aimee departed for the NDD, and after obtaining the code for the nearest location by the stadium - about ten minutes away - they were there.

_Saragel Soccer Stadium, Ticket Office_

As expected, the soccer stadium was in a sorry state. Karl would have gone berserk if he saw this place, the way it was. Trash was all over the floor, and old fanzines were still stacked behind a stand. Amara thought she had seen it before - Karl had collected quite a few issues from his years as a fan. Now, he was the one featuring on the front cover, and posters of him were on the walls of many of his fans.

"Damn, this place sucks." Blaine said. "So Seraphina, what exactly are we looking for?"

"I cannot determine that for sure at the moment. Perhaps it would be wise for us to split up into teams. I will let everyone else decide who wants to go with whom." Seraphina said.

"Great! How about us from the other world go check out the pitch?" Zao asked. "Not everyone can say they've been on the pitch of our city's greatest stadium!"

"Okay. Karen, who do you want to go with?" Roger asked. "I wanna go with Kyle. Don't worry, kid. I'm not your babysitter. I'm just gonna back you up, as long as you do the same for me."

"Don't worry. Serena, you want to come with us?" Kyle asked.

"As if you needed to ask!" Other Serena said. "Don't worry, um…me. I'll take good care of him!"

"You better!" Serena said. "You might want to try doing something about that haircut of his, too!"

"Alright, I'll come with you." Karen said, smiling. "I think Roger will need all the help he can get taking care of you two."

"Hey!" Roger said, laughing. "I'm good at looking after people! I was planning on opening my own business, after all."

"I think it goes without saying that the Holy Cross will stick together." Alastair said. "After all, we function much better when fighting as one."

"Don't worry, guys! You'll get a chance to play with us another time!" Richard said. "Actually, we've been here before. This was a temporary shelter, until they moved the people to a proper location a few minutes away. We were here to protect them from the Shadows."

"Perfect. Then that leaves Amara, Nathan, Priscilla and me." Seraphina said. "Now, if trouble arises, I will not hesitate to communicate with you. And since you'll be close by, I'll be able to sense if you run into difficult."

"No prob!" Zao said. "Off we go!"

_Changing Rooms, Home Team_

"If I recall correctly, this is one of the areas people slept in. A few sleeping bags remain." Alastair said. "How things have changed. We're no longer officially serving the city, but still fighting Shadows in the name of protecting our people."

"That's right." Kazuya said. "And I have to say, I feel a lot happier now than I did when we were working for Aeternus."

"You do?" Bianca said. "Me too..."

"That may be because the Commander isn't beating us if we make mistakes." Alastair said, grinning. "Then again, we no longer answer to him, for the most part. He's much happier now, too."

"Yeah, but you know why I always thought he was so angry? He just needed a lady to talk to!" Richard said. "C'mon, think about it. He probably hadn't had female company for a long time, if you know what I mean. And he sure as hell wasn't going to get it from Nina and Josephine. The former doesn't really give a damn, and the latter's only into young, handsome, classy men."

"So what you're basically saying is that he needed to get laid?" Alastair said. "That's an...interesting theory."

"Yeah. It's not one without merit, however." Kazuya said. "He was very lonely. And we were just young, annoying brats compared to him."

"What? I'm only four years younger than he is!" Alastair protested. "Although we still had little in common."

"But he...did try his best to help us. When your family died, didn't he try and cheer you up by cooking you a really good meal?" Bianca said. "And...he helped me bury my uncle. He's a kind man, and I can see that so clearly now."

"Yup! That means he _did _hit the sheets!" Richard said. Kazuya sighed, and as if it was second nature, smacked Richard on the back.

"Grow up! Not everyone's a nymphomaniac!" Kazuya said.

"I didn't say he was that! Come on, we're wasting time. Let's check out this room." Richard said. His face lit up as he saw a soccer ball lying in the corner. "Alright! I wonder how much this baby would go for online?"

_Changing Rooms, Away Team_

"So this was another shelter..." Karen said. "I can't imagine what the people thought when they were stuck in here."

"They must have been frightened every day and night." Kyle said. "I doubt they managed much sleep."

"Well, unless you're really careful, Shadows are gonna get ya if you take forty winks." Roger said. "But you gotta sleep whenever you can. I was trying to build a machine that let you go without sleep, but it didn't work out. It was rough, getting by."

"What exactly did you get up to?" Kyle asked. "Did you get into any fights?"

"I did, but it wasn't until I discovered I could use a Persona before I could fight back." Roger said. "The time I did, a lot of people got hurt pretty bad. I was really scared, and confused. A lot of Shadows were around, and...quite a few innocent people got stuck in the crossfire."

"You never told me that!" Karen said, shocked. "Roger...did they die?"

"I didn't stop to check. I was running from the Shadows...but if I didn't kill them, the Shadows did." Roger said. "It's no big deal...that's what you had to do to survive. How did you manage, Karen? Didn't you have to fight just to stay alive?"

"I...tried to hide away. I couldn't face fighting..." Karen said. "Roger..."

"Karen. I'm not that guy anymore. I'm still the same guy who came with you when you went to the police station." Roger said.

"What's he talking about?" Other Serena asked.

"I'm not really sure. It's about how they first met, I think." Kyle said.

"I'm not using my power just to stay alive. It's so my friends can live too." Roger said, grabbing Other Serena's and Kyle's shoulders. "Being around you guys changed the way I see things. You two are still young...and it's up to me to make sure you've got a bright future ahead of you. You shouldn't have to do what I did."

"You were really scary at first..." Kyle said. "But I'm glad we met. If Dan won't bother talking to me, at least I've got you and Serena!"

"Don't forget Matthew. You and him looked pretty tight!" Other Serena said. "Besides, you sure Dan hasn't forgotten about you?"

"Matthew told me Dan wants me to live with him once the city's safe again." Kyle said, thinking. "And...I wonder if he still does."

"Oh, he will. You and him were so close - and I'm sure you still can be!" Karen said. "Leave it to me. I'll tell Dan how good you've been. He'll be proud, trust me! He's almost like your father!"

"Father? Dan? I don't see it myself...but he does make a good big brother." Roger said. "Come on, we've been here long enough. Let's head back."

"Alright then!" Other Serena said. "Race ya, Kyle!"

"Race me?! I'm in a wheel chair!" Kyle said, aghast.

"So what? It can fly!" Serena said. The two of them left the room, apparently about to race each other downstairs.

"Roger..." Karen said, looking troubled. "Are you sure there's nothing else you want to tell me about your past?"

"No." Roger said. "I...just want to put that behind me. I'll use Kanaloa's power to protect you and those kids."

"Alright. I understand, really, I do." Karen said. "You had to do what you had to do. But I need to be able to trust you, one hundred percent. You were so violent when we met again...it makes me wonder what you could have done."

"Karen! I told you, there's nothing else!" Roger snapped. "Let's go!"

"...Okay." The two of them left, watching as Serena slowly made it downstairs. From the way she was panting for breath, Kyle had somehow one.

"That kid's one smart cookie. I'll have to ask him how he made his wheelchair so capable." Roger said. Now, the past had no meaning for him. The future was all there was.

_Saragel Soccer Stadium, Pitch_

The team approached the centre of the pitch - the only part that still had green grass. The rest was either yellow and dry, or just completely worn away. Karl would truly weep if he were to see this place. Amara looked up at the stands, in particular the special seats reserved for the friends and families of the star players. She had sat there countless times, cheering on Karl, and watching him score goal after goal. Each time, he made an 'A' sign with his hands. That was his way of saying it was for her.

"Hey, doesn't this part of the pitch look funny to you?" Serena said.

"Yeah. Hold on a minute, I got an idea." Zao said.

"What idea is that, honey - WHOA!"

Zao suddenly summoned Rashnu, who stabbed the ground with his sword. The green grass turned an eerie black, and the ground started to shake.

"Oh crap. RUN!" Blaine said, getting away from the black grass. The others followed, and gasped in horror as the blades of grass formed a bizarre Shadow - a goal with a ghastly emaciated figure chained to it, wearing spiked keeper's gloves.

"Shit." Amara said. "Zao, did you know what it was?"

"It was just a hunch!" Zao said, smiling. "If I hadn't done that, we could have been in big trouble."

"We aren't right now?!" Serena screamed. "We don't know what kind of moves this thing has got!"

"Hey. It's a Shadow. We've fought off how many of them by now?" Amara said, smirking. "I'll destroy this thing!"

Before anyone could do anything, a beautiful flute melody echoed throughout the pitch. It was a short, upbeat tune, and the sound was crisp and clear. Right after the tune finished, a burst of energy engulfed the Shadow, knocking it to the ground instantly.

"Who did that?" Blaine asked.

The group turned around, and saw someone slowly making their way to them. A girl, of about five feet tall - making her even shorter than Serena and Aimee - who had shoulder length and completely straight purple hair. She had bright green eyes beneath a pair of expensive looking glasses, and a fetching black beret with an orange flower sown into it. She had a black shirt with a purple rim and white frills, as well as a black skirt and purple shoes.

"Who's she?" Amara asked.

"No clue, but your friend Colette would probably fall in love with that outfit!" Serena said, laughing.

"Holy cow!" the girl exclaimed. Her voice was rather high pitched, Amara thought. She looked to be in her twenties, but her voice sounded more like a teenagers. Perhaps she was trying to sound cute. "This totally rocks. I never thought I'd ever meet other guys like me!"

"We're very grateful you helped us just now." Nathan said. "Can we save the introductions until after we've defeated this creature, madam?"

"Hey! You never said that when you and Amara were rescuing me!" Serena protested, glaring at him.

"You introduced yourself before I could say it!" Nathan replied.

"Oh, she isn't your daughter?" the mystery Persona user said.

"Nah. She's too cool to be related to him." Blaine said, nudging Nathan with his elbow.

"Blaine, I'm not that boring..." Nathan said, annoyed.

"Guys! We have to attack that Shadow before it strikes again!" Zao said, raising his weapon. "Watch us in action! It's time for a team attack!"

"Yeah! Let's see what we can do this time...get ready!" Amara said.

The five Personas, sans the one the lady was using, arranged themselves in a cross formation. Hathor took the north position, Artemis the east, Tlaloc the west, and Setanta the south. Rashnu took the centre position, and energy began to be channelled via all five of the entities.

"Oh my god, I never saw anything like this before!" the woman gushed, excited. "C'mon, show me your moves! Hurry it up!"

"I'm annoyed already." Serena said.

"Me too..." Amara grimaced.

"She didn't hear that, did she?" Zao said, worried.

"I doubt she was paying close attention. Let's go!" Nathan said.

"**Cosmic Breath!"**

The power generated by the five Personas shined brightly, forming a multicoloured aura that was like a rainbow. The Shadow slowly managed to get up, despite being chained to a goalpost. It was too late, however - a massive rain of what looked like tiny stars struck it, splattering black shadowy fluid all over the ground. Finally, a rainbow coloured explosion occurred, destroying the Shadow completely. From the mask stuck on the back of it's torn soccer shirt, it was a 'Fortune' Shadow.

"SWEET!" the girl said, randomly hugging Zao. "You guys all rock! Now that I've found you guys, I can do moves like that too! This is going to be so brilliant, working together!"

"Hey, aren't you jumping the gun a bit? As well as choking my poor boyfriend." Amara said.

"Actually, it looks more like he's enjoying the attention." Nathan said. "To be young again…"

"Dude, wait until you turn thirty. Then you can start talking like that." Blaine said. "Still, not bad, Zao! We only just met this chick and she's already all over ya! Now that's what I call a casanova!"

"Oh, right. Introductions, yeah? Cool beans. I'm Keisha Vivaldi!" Keisha said, flipping her hair backwards. "And this here is Lorelei!"

"The aggregate sentience of the Seventh Fonon?" Serena asked.

"What the fuck is that?" Blaine asked.

"...Never mind." Serena said, as she pouted.

Keisha ignored their banter, and summoned the Persona she knew as Lorelei. A dainty, seductive pink skinned beauty, Lorelei had half blonde hair, and half black. One of her eyes was orange, and one owas green. She had a blue dress, that had ends resembling peacock feathers, and an anklet that resembled cymbals on a tambourine. In her hand was a long, silver flute that seemed to be generating mist. So that was where the tune came from…

"Impressive, ain't she?" Keisha said. "She and I have kicked tons of butt till now!"

"That's great, Keisha. Sorry, but we've seen many Persona users like us up until now. So we're not unfamiliar with the process." Nathan said. "It is odd how we've become so used to it, though."

"I think she's cool!" Zao said. "Keisha, tell us about yourself! Where'd you come from?"

"Oh yeah, you would want all the juicy details about me! Well, I was all alone in this creepy city, trying to find food and a place to stay. Just like everybody else, really. Some guys came and helped me, and they were tough. They did whatever they could to stay alive. It's a rough world, isn't it?" Keisha said. "There used to be a ton of us. We were basically a gang of thieves, trying to be like Robin Hood. But then the leaders went greedy, and kept it up. Finally, me and the two leaders were the only ones left."

"What happened to them?" Nathan asked. "Are they alive?"

"I...no." Keisha said, solemnly. "I don't want to bring up how, but they're gone. That was when I first realised I had this power. The ability to summon Lorelei. All her attacks involve that flute of hers. She's the best there is!"

"Ah, I get it know. It's based on the siren Lorelei of German folklore. She plays a song in the river, leading ships to their death." Serena said. "This is perfect! Amara, we have to get the others here!"

"No need. Seraphina told us to get to the pitch not long ago." Alastair said. Everyone else had gathered around them, surprised to see Keisha.

"Wow, there's this many of you! ...What the heck? Why are there two of the redhead guy? Or two blonde geeks? Or two of that Amara girl?" Keisha asked, perplexed.

"Ah. That would take a while - a long while - to explain. We've had to summarise the exact situation so many times now..." Kyle said, already weary. "Let's start with you."

"I'm Keisha Vivaldi, the master of Lorelei!" Keisha said, striking a pose. "So what about you guys?"

"Well, I'm Amara, this is Nathan, that's Serena, and this guy is Blaine. Also, this is my boyfriend Zao." Amara said.

"I'm Alastair, leader of the Holy Cross. These three are Bianca, Kazuya, and Richard." Alastair said. Richard waved, smiling exuberantly, but Keisha sighed. She clearly wasn't interested in him. Then, she turned to Roger, and gasped.

"...What?" Roger asked. "I didn't even tell you my name yet."

"I...um..." Keisha said, flustered. "I never...I mean...oh, it's nothing! You look like someone I used to know. Yeah, that's it."

"Okay, well whatever. I'm Roger, and this is my partner Karen."

Keisha nodded, and smiled. The others introduced themselves, and despite Keisha teasing Kyle about his wheelchair, all seemed well.

"Now then. Keisha, we have to tell you something. Aeternus aren't the heroes you think they are. They're evil. They're creating Shadows, and...they're using them to destroy all of reality itself." Nathan said.

"Whoa! I totally thought you guys were Ornatu Legion people, or something like that!" Keisha said. "I mean, I remember the Holy Cross…kinda. But is that true? Aeternus being the ones doing this?"

"It is, I'm afraid. All of us are banding together to put an end to it, and we really could use your help." Kyle said. "It's amazing, how you came out of nowhere to help us like that."

"I know! I never expected anyone to go to the pitch. Soccer was never really my thing…I just wanted to check out the area. I'm glad I did! It's great to meet you all! So can I help you all? I'll fight, with everything I have!" Keisha said, looking pumped with excitement.

"Of course, Keisha. We'd be delighted!" Richard said, and he gave her a thumbs up.

"We would?" Serena said. "Oh brother."

"So Richard, does someone have a crush?" Bianca teased.

"Um, no, I-"

Seraphina suddenly looked pale. _Did something happen with Shirley and Kaman?_

"What's wrong, Seraphina? You don't look so good..."

"I...I have informed Aimee via telepathy of our situation. She and the others have survived, but..."

_The Mole_

"It's a shame...this place could have been something special, if you had bothered." Carlos said. "Perhaps destroying it would be an act of kindness!"

"Go to hell!" Kaman said, giving Carlos the middle finger. "I don't give a shit about this place anymore. You're going down!"

"How are you going to make me do that?" Carlos taunted. Just then, a bolt of lightning struck him. "What the -"

Before Carlos could finish, Dan burst out of the bathroom area and shoved him to the floor, pummelling his face. Rage was flowing through Dan's veins, and no matter how hard he struck Carlos, it didn't seem to satisfy him.

"Dan!" Aimee said, running in. Other Blaine, Matthew and Tara followed him.

"You guys! What are you doing in here?!" Kaman said, stunned. Carlos, despite the pain he was suffering, laughed, and he clicked his fingers. One of the Shadows dashed over to Kaman, and struck his face.

"Kaman!" Shirley screamed. She tried to run, but another Shadow cornered her. She started to cry, cowering in fear. "Dan, help me!"

Dan stopped hitting Carlos, and panicked. He gazed at the Shadow that was tormenting Shirley, and his body went limp. Carlos finally forced Dan off him, and sent him crashing into a wall with one punch. "Pathetic. Your brute strength doesn't even begin to compare to my technique."

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Matthew asked. "You trying to ruin their lives too?"

"No way will I let that happen! I haven't forgotten what you did to Adrian, you bastard! You're the cause of everything that's gone wrong, and you'll pay!" Tara screamed. "Adrian didn't deserve to go through what you did to him!"

"Spare me the moral lecture." Carlos said.

"Shirley, hold on! I'll kill this thing for you!" Dan shouted. "It doesn't matter if you don't like me. I told you, didn't I? I love you…I'll help you find Lucy, I promise!"

"Love? _Love_?" Carlos scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. A pretty lady like her would be insane if she were to deign to even talk to you, let alone fall for you. But I'm curious. Who is this Lucy?"

"My best friend...Lucille." Shirley said.

"I see. This is splendid. Is her name Lucille Victoria Crossman, by any chance?" Carlos said. Shirley nodded, still covering her face. Other Blaine looked up, surprised.

"What have you done to her?!" Other Blaine screamed. "If you've done anything to hurt her, you're fucking _dead_!"

"Lucy's popular, I see." Carlos said. "I...have met her. She herself has become one of the numerous Persona users. Unfortunately, she was found by me. Unfortunately for you lot, that is!"

"No!" Matthew said. "Then you've brainwashed her into serving you!"

"Stop accusing me of such pointless things. She didn't need brainwashed. All I had to tell her was a few facts about her darling Blaine. The man she took in, and nursed back to health. Naturally, she fell in love with him. Didn't she, Commander?" Carlos goaded

"Fuck you..." Other Blaine muttered.

"She was rather fond of you. Yes, I had to endure a lot of details on how thick and hairy your chest is, how strong your arms are, how cute your hair is...and I think you get the picture. Then there was how safe she felt when she confided in you about her silly little problems. You made her feel special, and loved. You actually seemed to care about what she thought about the village, and her life. But you didn't really care about helping her, did you? You just wanted that one night of passion, then you went off on your merry way." Carlos said.

"You bastard...what the hell did you tell her?" Other Blaine said, pulling out his gun. "You better talk! I'm not letting you have your way with Lucy!"

"It's just as I thought, then. You and Lucy were an item..." Matthew said.

"Hahaha...I only told her the truth. That you were a commander who rebelled, and destroyed Kanaloa without remorse." Carlos said. Other Blaine growled at him, but Aimee held him back.

"Aimee! What are you doing?!" Other Blaine grunted.

"If you're not careful, he'll hurt Shirley or Kaman!" Aimee pleaded. "Please, let me think of something!"

"Now, however, I can completely have darling Lucy under my control. With Shirley being held hostage, what choice does Lucy have other than to do exactly as I say?" Carlos said, laughing. The Shadow grabbed Shirley, and managed to resist her kicking and screaming.

"Shirley! No!" Dan shouted. "Carlos, let her go right this second!"

"I'd have thought it was obvious that I wasn't going to do that. Such morons. Go, now!" Carlos said. The Shadow disappeared, along with Shirley.

"No!" Dan screamed. "Shirley..."

"Now then, I'll finish what I started!" Carlos said. He looked at the Shadow standing in front of Kaman, and clicked his fingers again.

Kaman ran his fingers down his face, and his eyes went wide open, as he saw the blood. The Shadow roared, but before it could finish the attack, something sent it backwards, much to it's confusion. A blue aura of smoke had generated around Kaman's body.

"No fucking way!" Other Blaine said.

"Kaman, not you too..." Dan muttered.

"Oh…now this makes things _very _interesting." Carlos said, pleased.

"Per...so...na... _Persona_!"

Everyone stared in shock at what happened. Kaman's blue aura burst into a mighty Persona, albeit a rather macabre one. It was a male figure, one with golden armour on his arms and legs. However, the armour was covered with many blood stains, diminishing the overall sheen. Other than that, the Persona was wearing a silver armoured belt, a black and blue gas mask, and a red gem on it's forehead. It's skin was a very dark yellow, with various tribal tattoos on it's bare torso - also covered with blood. It's eyes were shut, with what looked like blood running from them. It's hair was white and spiky, sticking up. Despite the overall look of this Persona, it had rather colourful green and yellow bird-like wings, with a remarkable wing span.

**I am thou. Thou art I. I cometh from the sea of thy heart. I am Chandra, one who will brew hallucinations themselves to the gods.**

* * *

**AN: **Yes, I'm ending on a cliffhanger. It usually happens with the last two chapters of an arc. Sorry this took so long, but I wanted to sort out Kaman and Keisha's Personas. Yes, I'm aware she debuted last chapter, but with a different hair colour. That's not a mistake. Why the discrepancy? That will be revealed in due time, of course.


	55. Chapter 55: Glimmer of Peace

**AN: **Damn is this one doozy of a chapter. Nearly twice the length of 54! This took a while, but I'm finally done with it. Please enjoy, and review. Thanks again to Moldy Jelly Bean!

* * *

**Chapter 55: Glimmer of Peace**

_The Mole_

"Fantastic!" Carlos said, smiling. "So, even a waste of space like you has enough inner power to conjure a Persona."

Other Blaine snarled, and rushed forward, fists flying.

"Are you serious?" Carlos retorted. "Ha!"

One quick combo of punches, and Other Blaine was sprawled on the floor, clutching his stomach in agony.

"You dumbass! You _have_ a gun, remember?" Dan said. "Like so! Tezcatlipoca-"

"Do you really expect me to carry out a full battle here? This place is far too small for such a confrontation. Besides, even if you did kill me, you wouldn't be able to 'rescue' Lucy or Shirley. Nihane is a very convincing fellow. After all, I'm risking my entire life for him." Carlos said.

"...Shut up." Kaman uttered.

"What's that now?" Carlos said.

"You heard me. I told you to shut up." Kaman said, glaring deep into Carlos eyes. Carlos started to laugh, but then he saw Chandra soar, brimming with power. Before Carlos could react, Kaman summoned a mighty multicoloured wind attack. The strength of the wind sliced up the Shadow in front of Kaman, as well as an entire barrel filled with an expired ale.

"Holy shit..." Matthew said, biting his tongue. "He's strong already!"

"Of course he is!" Carlos said. "When you unlock the chains of your psyche and set free your inner feelings, they rush out, charged with your true emotions. That rush of power is a mark of the true potential of a Persona user. However, me and my comrades took a different method to obtain our power. You may already be familiar with it."

"You mean the artificial Personas of the Ornatu Legion?" Aimee asked.

"That's right. Instead of unlock them ourselves, we piece them together using the power of Shadows and residual thoughts we've gathered across our lives." Carlos said. "In my case-"

"I don't give a shit about any of that! Just give back Lucy!" Other Blaine shouted, firing his gun. Carlos jumped out of the way, but was hit in the back by Kaman.

"Haha!" Carlos said, quickly throwing something on the ground. It was a tiny capsule, silver in colour. There was a small red light on it, rapidly blinking.

"Is that a bomb?!" Tara screamed.

"You're wise. You haven't got long until it goes off. Once it does, this entire building will be nothing but rubble and ash. Can you get out of here in time?" Carlos said. "Oh, and before you get any ideas..."

Venti appeared, and sent a Garudyne towards the NDD, tearing it to shreds. The bomb was blinking faster and faster…

"Why?!" Matthew shouted.

"I'm only fulfilling what I came here to do. Get rid of the one who wasted our time, as well as those who withheld vital information. Don't worry, Blaine. I'll take good care of Lucy. She's a little abrasive, but that's nothing we can't control. 'Farawell' for now!" Carlos said. Right then and there, he disappeared.

"Well that's just super. Not only does he blow up my bar, he leaves with that crappy pun!" Kaman said, irate. "What the fuck are we gonna do?"

"I have to get us out of here, right now!" Aimee said. Quickly, Irene materialised behind her, and placed her hands on Aimee's shoulders. "Kaman, we're going to go to a secret location. It's too late to save this place…"

Kaman didn't say a word. Instead, he quickly grabbed a framed photograph from the bar, and checked it for scratches. "Maria..."

"Are you coming or not?!" Matthew screeched.

"Shut it, kid. Whatever your name is, lady, get us to this new place. I guess this is goodbye, Mole..."

_Saragel Soccer Stadium_

"So the bar got blown up?" Amara asked.

"Yes, it was destroyed instantly. Not only was The Mole completely destroyed, the other buildings nearby were damaged as well. Chances are, Aeternus will pin the blame on the Shadows." Seraphina said, shaking her head. "All Aimee was able to tell me was what had happened to the bar. I instructed her to arrive here with the others, so we should see them shortly."

"In that case, let's head back to the entrance. There might be more hidden Shadows." Nathan said.

"I didn't think of that...yes, let's do that." Karen said. "Keisha, we may enter the fray soon. Are you prepared for that?"

"Like you even need to ask, lady! I'll be making Lorelei play her songs as much as I need to!" Keisha said, smiling. "I already said I'd help you guys out, anyway."

"Wait, what attacks do you even have?" Richard asked. "Come on, it'll take a while until the others get here. What can Lorelei do?"

"Well, she's got the Aria Di Sorbetto. It's a beautiful quick tune that creates a big blast of ice." Keisha said. "I'm not really sure where I got the name from, it just sort of stuck in my head."

"I'd have figured it'd summon a great big ice cream cone." Richard said. "That'd be pretty cool! Then once it's killed the enemy, we get a free snack!"

"...Is this guy for real?" Keisha said, looking at Kazuya.

"Believe me, he is." Kazuya said. "There's a lot more weirdness where that came from. Then there's Zao to deal with..."

"I heard that!" Zao said. "For the record, the free ice cream idea would suck! It'd be all over the floor!"

_Later, in the entrance..._

"Aimee!" Zao shouted, running after her. "Thank god you're alright!"

"Zao..." Aimee said, surprised. "Don't look so worried. We just managed to get away. But there's no telling how many got caught up in that explosion..."

"Hey, cutie!" Keisha said, smiling at Matthew. "What's your name?"

"I'm Matthew Kingsley, of the Clairdol Village Police Department." Matthew said, awkwardly. While he did like flirting, he looked like he wasn't used to the girl making the first move. "What's your name?"

"Ooh, so you're a cop? Awesome! Nice surname, too. Anyway, I'm Keisha Vivaldi! Seraphina here told me I've got the Devil Arcana, and I'm hoping that's a compliment. I was all alone until just a moment ago. Now I'm with all of you guys! Strange, isn't it? Glad to meet you." Keisha said, holding out her hand.

"Same to you. Oh...right." Matthew said, shaking Keisha's hand. "This is my older brother, Daniel. And this here is Tara. Her grandparents looked after me. And this is Aimee, who's sort of in charge of this big group."

"Wait. You're a Persona user as well, Keisha?" Tara said. "We were trying to find new members, but I didn't expect to find one so fast…"

"Looks like this is your lucky day!" Keisha said, smiling. "From now on, I'll be right beside you, killing Shadows and playing my songs all day long! Yeah, you won't have anything to worry about, old lady!"

"...That remains to be seen." Tara said, grimacing.

"It's good to have you on board, Keisha. We've had a bit of an upset. Blaine, you're not going to like this…it's about Lucy." Aimee said.

"My Lucy?" Blaine said, confused. "She's not here, is she?"

"No, not your one. This world's version. I think it'd be safer if our Blaine told us the full story." Aimee said.

"...Fine. I already told you guys that I got out of Inanis, but I was in really bad shape. I could barely walk, and I collapsed outside Farawell. When I come to, I'm in this tiny hospital, and there's some girl I don't recognise waiting outside. She's really annoyed at me, especially when she realises I'm awake. She bursts in, and calls me a stupid moron." Other Blaine said.

"Sounds like Lucy, alright!" Blaine said, amused.

"Turns out that when I fell, I hurt her cat's tail. I didn't know what was happening, until I was told by this doctor with a funny smell that I was in Clairdol Village. I'm fucking confused, but then I remember I was in Inanis and got out of there. The doctor says that I need somewhere to recover, since the hospital didn't have enough rooms. I tell him that there's nowhere for me to go - he's not gonna believe any of the stuff about the Shadows or what the Ater Vox guys have done. So I just make like I've got amnesia, and he's none the wiser." Other Blaine said.

"Let me guess. You had to stay at Lucy's?" Amara said.

"Well, it took a lot of convincing from the doctor, but she finally gave in. Boy…she was one bossy girl. Nagging me about how to eat my food, washing my hands, or to avoid rating the girls on this modelling show." Other Blaine said. "It was the first time I'd been able to watch TV in a long time. So many things I didn't know about...and Lucy kept getting pissed off when she had to explain anything to me. Like why her TV was flat." Other Blaine said.

"Wow, that IS a long time." Matthew said.

"Anyway, I kept out of her way for most of the time. I wasn't really able to go anywhere, so I just stayed in the spare room, glaring at the stupid lilac wallpaper." Other Blaine said. "But then she came home one night, and she was crying about something. I go over to her, and ask her what happened. And she looks up at me as if I've got a rainbow Mohawk and a skull eyebrow piercing."

"Those exist?" Richard asked. "I kind of want one."

"Are you serious?" Bianca said, stunned. "But you have such lovely eyebrows, Richard!"

"Can we get back to my story?" Other Blaine said. Bianca nodded, and Richard stepped back, afraid. "Okay. So I ask her again, and she launches into how much she hates her job. She told me all about why she joined the police force in the first place - to get inside the city and find some friend of hers. I think she knew that I knew what was really going on, but I tell her I don't remember a damn thing. But anyway, she told me she overheard the other girls at the station calling her a bitch, a cunt, a whore. Now, I've called many girls those things, but Lucy sure as hell isn't any of them." Other Blaine said.

"Well, maybe just the first one." Amara said. Blaine glared at her, and it felt more intense than a thousand suns. "Sorry, but you know how I feel about her. I'm not going to be her best buddy. She's got Shirley for that."

"Anyway, I tell Lucy that she just needs to try harder to make friends. I gave her advice, like to listen to people, think of positive things to say if possible, and don't lose your temper. I was just trying to cheer her up, but she really took that stuff to heart." Other Blaine said. "So later that week, she told me about how great work has been. She and the girls have been getting along better, and she hasn't heard them talk shit about her anymore. For the first time, she and I have dinner together. I crack a few naughty jokes, just to ease the tension, and we're laughing like hyenas. Mostly because of how dirty the jokes were."

"...If they're anything like Dan's, I don't want to hear them." Aimee said, frowning.

"I do!" Richard said.

"Guys, stop interrupting me! What the hell?" Other Blaine said, looking very pissed off. "Lucy asks how I'm doing, and...I tell her I feel great. I'm not able to get out and about yet, and my back is killing me. But I was really starting to enjoy being there. Lucy kept asking me for advice for how to talk with the girls at the station, and she got me these new clothes to say thanks."

"Is that why your jacket shows off your chest so much?" Other Serena asked._ Now that she mentions it, that IS quite a rug. _

"Yeah. I learned she had a thing for that, too." Other Blaine said, managing a small smile. "But I didn't mind so much. After all, we were getting along a bit better. I even started playing with that cat of hers, just to make her happy."

"Get real! What are you, some kind of perfect gentlemen?" Keisha said, raising her eyebrow. Now it was her turn to be glared at, but unlike Amara, she didn't seem to care.

"Not quite, lady. But I was having fun for the first time in ten years. But then I started noticing things…like how beautiful Lucy is. How much I liked hearing her laugh, or when she fucked up with dinner and I had to step in and rescue it - and her eyes. Her eyes were the most gorgeous I had ever seen." Other Blaine said. "Then I realised…I was well enough to get back to the city. I was pretty sure there was an NDD there on the barrier, but only someone who knew what to look for would find it."

"So you went back?" Nathan asked.

"...No. Every day, I thought about walking out that door, but I couldn't do it. I didn't want to go at all. I knew I had to, but I couldn't get out there." Other Blaine said, sadly. "Finally, I suggest to Lucy that she should invite people over to her house for a party, to reconnect with the people. At first, I thought it was going great - I couldn't check it out, though. I had to hide in that room. But..."

"Linda from the pub was there. She told me what happened - they were pretty vicious about her behind her back." Matthew said. "So despite your best efforts, she still didn't make friends..."

"Nope. So when she went in the spare room to feed the cat, I told her what I heard. She thought I was making the whole thing up, but I heard every word. I couldn't let her have guests who thought those awful things...so she threw them out. She must have cried for an hour afterwards." Other Blaine said, downcast. "I held her the whole time. I couldn't figure out what to say to make her feel better. That was when I realised just how much I cared. I felt good about my life for the first time in a long time. But I knew I couldn't just give up on the city. So that night..."

_Clairdol Village, Lucy's Apartment (Several Days Earlier)_

"...Thanks." Lucy finally said, wiping her eyes. "You must think I'm really childish."

"Nah. I just hate seeing you so upset. You know what? Screw those guys! You don't need to waste time on people who don't care about ya!" Blaine said. "You're still young. It's not too late to go out and go back to journalism. You'd be great at that!"

"Maybe, but..." Lucy said. "I told you why I came here. I thought someone would know something about the city. Even you don't know anything..."

"...Lucy, there's something I gotta say. I think I'm ready to leave." Blaine said. Lucy's smile instantly vanished, and her eyes started to water again.

"What?! But you've been here so long! And you don't even have anywhere to go!" Lucy wailed, grabbing Blaine's arm. "You can't just leave me! There's no one else here I can talk to! No one!"

"I'm really sorry. Being here made me happier than I've been in years...but there's something I have to do. Something very important." Blaine said. He tried to put on a brave face, but Lucy wasn't cheering up at all. Any minute now, she would burst into tears again. "Actually, before I go, there's something I want to do here. Something you can remember me by."

"And what's that-"

Blaine grabbed Lucy, and wrapped his strong arms around her. Staring into her shocked face, he briefly hesitated. This felt right, he realised. Without any more doubts on his feelings, he leaned forward, and kissed her. To his surprise...she held the kiss. That moment may have only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like a lifetime for him. Finally, they stopped, and stared at each other. Now, she was smiling, her cheeks red.

"I've...been wanting to do that for a while." Blaine said, bold. "Thing is...the place I'm going is dangerous. Even for a tough old bastard like me. But if I'm not there, then things aren't gonna get any better."

"It's the city, isn't it?" Lucy asked. "You came from the city…I knew you did! Blaine, please let me come too! Shirley's in there! If I can get her out, then everything will be okay! I mean, I'll have her back! And you!"

"I can't. Lucy, if something happened to you, I'd never forgive myself. Thanks to me, a lot of people have gotten into trouble. Friends, even. If I can, I'll come back-"

"No!" Lucy screamed. "Don't say that! Not if…besides, it's late now. Stay one more night. Please..."

"Alright, I can't say no to that pretty face." Blaine said, smiling. "Besides, I've gotten used to that spare room."

"Who said anything about the spare room?" Lucy said, with a flirtatious smile.

"...You naughty devil." Blaine said, laughing.

_Later, in Lucy's bed..._

Blaine was lying next to Lucy, gazing into her eyes. Tonight had been so special - before the Shadows had appeared, his luck with relationships had been lousy. He was young, selfish, and only interested in having a fun time. After the Shadows, women had never been on his mind - surviving was the only necessity. Lucy, however...she had brought out the best in him.

"You liked that, didn't you?" Lucy asked.

"Sure did. I never thought it would last for so long." Blaine said, putting his arm around her. "So, tonight wasn't a total loss, was it?"

"Not at all! Those idiots don't matter anymore. Now that I've got you to help me find Shirley."

Blaine's eyes widened. Did she really expect him to take her in that place? If Shadows found her, she was dead. Tlaloc might not be enough to save her. But Lucy was determined to find Shirley, even now.

"...Okay. You can come." Blaine said. "I'll take good care of you, I swear."

"What, you think I can't handle a little danger?" Lucy said, indignant. "I'm not as weak as I look! I can be pretty scary when I want to be."

"Oh, I know that. Remember when we first met, and your cat's tail got hurt?" Blaine said. "C'mon, you look sleepy. You get some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a busy day, after all."

"Alright." Lucy said, snuggling up close to him. She shut her eyes, but as she laid her head near his, she continued to smile.

Blaine knew he couldn't go into New Motus City with her. There was a very slim chance of her getting a Persona, and even if she did, she wasn't used to combat like she was. The Ater Vox would be coming after him, sending Shadows his way to reap his blood. Perhaps he'd have to fight Nihane - a battle with an uncertain outcome. Putting Lucy through that, just so she could find her friend, was too much.

Quietly, he put on his clothes - and as he saw how much of his chest the new jacket showed off, he briefly chuckled. Lucy certainly preferred her men as hairy as possible (except for back hair, which she hated). She was still asleep, in complete bliss. This wasn't like the women of Kanaloa, who he only went out with for a night or two. He desperately wanted more from Lucy. He stared at her sleeping body, and sighed. Leaving her would break her heart, but leading her into danger would be even worse. He was going to be risking his life, after all. Why get her killed as well?

He quietly went into the living room, and grabbed a notepad from the table. Trembling, he wrote, with shaky handwriting.

**I'm sorry I left without you. The truth is, New Motus City is in chaos. People every day run the risk of being killed by things that aren't even human. These things aren't like thugs in Kanaloa. You can't just punch the living daylights out of them so they get out of your way. These things will kill you. And the idea of you getting near one of them scares the hell out of me. Lucy, I know you want Shirley back. But she might already be dead. The minute I get back into that city, there will be fighting night and day. I can handle it, but I'm not sure if I can protect you. Please, don't try and follow me. I may not be able to come back. Just remember this, Lucy. I love you. I won't forget how happy you made me feel. Take care.**

Blaine found himself wiping away several tears as he wrote. This was the worst thing he had ever done, but he had no choice. To save Lucy, he would have to abandon her. To other people, he would look like such an asshole. But he didn't care about that. As long as Lucy stayed in the safety of this town, he could go ahead and join the fight.

Outside, he gazed at the town for the last time. The sky was cloudy, and the ground was damp. This would be his last semblance of normality for a long time. Dan was still fighting over in the city, and he would never be allowed back in Aeternus. Not that he ever wanted to go back. If Nihane and the others hadn't ruined the lives of everyone in New Motus City, everything would be so much simpler. Lucy would be with Shirley, and Dan, Matthew and him would be living it up in Kanaloa.

"Lucy...don't cry."

_Present Day, Soccer Stadium_

"You stupid bastard!" Dan said, after a long silence. "If you really loved her, why the hell did you leave without saying a word? I thought you knew better than that."

"Weren't you listening to me?! Lucy would have gotten herself into a shitload of trouble if she had come with me!" Other Blaine said. "Only thing is, now she's got a Persona. And Carlos got to her first, that fucking bastard."

"Blaine, you really should have just tried to tell her one more time not to come with you. She might have let it go, providing you came back. After all, me and Tara have been making plenty of trips between the city and the village." Matthew said.

"It's a little late for that! Now Lucy's on the enemy's side, and Shirley's with them now!" Blaine said, "This is just great. I always wondered what my girl's other self was up to, and now I know."

"So now Lucy thinks you're a monster behind the Shadows who was just using her?" Keisha said. "That sucks big time. Well, shit happens."

"That's not helping, Keisha." Alastair said. " We cannot let Lucy and Shirley remain in the clutches of our enemies."

"That's all fine and dandy, but how the fuck are we gonna find them? We don't have a way to get inside headquarters!" Kaman said.

"You're not quite right about that, Sir Kaman." Seraphina said. Kaman, clearly confused about his apparent knighthood, stared at her as if she was on bath salts. "Thanks to a third party, we do have a way to get inside the headquarters. With my extrasensory perception, it should be possible to reclaim Lucille and Shirley."

"Oh, that's right! Tomas and Rudo!" Other Blaine said. "Seraphina, you have to take me there! I'd go alone, but they've blocked my card by now! I gotta straighten things out with Lucy."

"There is going to be quite a lot of risk involved, yet I can see that you could care less about how many bones you have to break. Very well. Once everyone's prepared, we shall venture into the enemy's territory. Remember, our mission is to retrieve Lucille and Shirley. Anything else may jeopardise those objectives. Do you all understand?" Seraphina said.

"Loud and clear. I gotta get Shirley out of there." Dan said, looking at Other Blaine. "You better not let me down this time."

_Aeternus Headquarters, Secret Lab_

"Wait a second. Where the hell are Tomas and Rudo?" Tara asked. "Without them, we can't get inside the main building!"

"Incorrect, Lady Tara. I have a special card that allows me access to their NDD." Seraphina said. "Let me pull up the information on the main building."

"Seraphina, I thought it was established that I'm the one who handles the geeky tech stuff. Let me do it!" Kyle said, moving over. It took a little while, but the screen displayed a map of the Aeternus ground floor. On it were several elevators, a dining area, research rooms, and communications rooms. "I don't think Lucy and Shirley are going to be on this floor. Let's see..."

Kyle quickly scanned through the floors, until he saw the thirty second. "This looks like it could be it. There's a lot of training areas here. If Lucy is still new, she might be there. But it's a large area…we'll have to spread out."

"Shouldn't we clear it with Tomas first?" Amara asked. Other Amara nodded, frowning.

"We don't have time to wait for that old geezer! We gotta do this now, and if the Ater Vox get in our way, I'll thrash them!" Other Blaine said.

"Alright, then if you would like to follow me, I will activate the gateway now." Seraphina said, entering the key on the NDD. "Hurry! If we are discovered, we may not make it out alive."

"Yeah, I know. But I'm not staying behind in some village." Matthew said. "Remember, I'm a member of the police department, too. It's my responsibility to get her out of trouble."

Amara sighed, and watched as the group followed Seraphina. Was she really going to have to fight Lucy? She had already dealt with Colette, and that had been painful enough. The difference was, Lucy had a genuine Persona. It was going to be a difficult journey.

"Hey, are you coming?" Zao asked.

"Sorry. I'm going!" Amara said, rushing through to the NDD

_Aeternus Headquarters, Training Facilities_

"Eat this!" Lucy screamed, as Inanna appeared. "Heatstroke!"

Fiery slashes of Inanna's axe crushed the Idol Shadow in front of her, and Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. "How was that? Better?"

"Yes, that was quite good. Keep it up, and you'll be ready to defeat Blaine Spencer in no time at all!" Nihane said.

"Blaine..." Lucy said, looking at the gun she had been issued. "Was he really just using me so I'd look after him?"

"Undoubtedly so, yes. Yet, the lecherous fellow has been without the love of a woman for quite some time. A young, attractive female surely gave him a certain sense of satisfaction." Nihane said, grinning.

"Hey, wipe that smirk off your face. I'm not giving you any sort of 'satisfaction'." Lucy said, irritated. "Anyway, can we stop for today?"

"Nihane!" Carlos said, entering the room. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I believe I have someone who Lucy would like to meet."

"What?! Did you bring him here?!" Lucy screamed. "Where is he?"

"It's not Blaine, nor is it a male." Carlos said. "Perhaps it would be faster if I showed you. Come in...Shirley."

"What?!"

Shirley looked through into the training room, and when she saw Lucy, she froze. A long time had passed since they were children. Yet, they recognised each other immediately.

"Lucy, you're back..." Shirley said, shaken.

"Shirley, you're still...alive." Lucy said, also stunned.

"I'm sorry...I couldn't write to you. There was no way to send letters from the city, the way it is. And, well...a lot of bad things happened. I just...I just kept hoping you'd come back."

"What a touching reunion!" Nihane said, sniggering. "So, you two met once years ago when you were children, only to become obsessed with seeing each other again. But now that you've finally met, you don't have any more objectives!"

"What's your point, jackass?" Lucy said, annoyed. "You guys are supposed to be fighting the Shadows and saving the city! Why is it taking so long?! Shirley could have died!"

"Why, it's simple, isn't it? There are some with your power who can't understand us. Instead, they pin the entire blame on us - they fabricate lies that we are the ones conjuring Shadows into this planet. It's undeniable that we have harvested these monsters as a power source, but that is a matter of necessity. Any other power source is prone to destruction. As for the ones who are opposing us…there are a lot of them." Nihane said.

"I saw them. Dan..." Shirley said. "He told me he was fighting against the Shadows. And all the other friends he's made. That boy in the wheelchair he talks about...his brother Matthew-"

"Oh, yes. Dan Kingsley, and his brother, Matthew." Carlos said. "It was unexpected that two citizens of the village would travel to Inanis - but then again, their home was here. They were simply coming home, so to speak."

"Whoa whoa whoa. That flirt from the station?!" Lucy said, perplexed. "He's one of our enemies too?"

"That's right. There are quite a few others, all whom are convinced we are the devil. Also, Carlos, did you destroy that bar? You should have remembered Aimee Davenport has access to Traesto. That was mighty careless of you." Nihane said, with another evil grin.

"Look, are you two just gonna prattle on and on? I wanna talk to Shirley for a moment!" Lucy said.

"Fine, you may leave the room. Remember, without any prior instruction, you are not to exit these premises. Nor are you permitted to show Shirley some of our more private areas." Nihane said. Lucy stuck out her tongue, and grabbed Shirley's arm, dragging her outside. "She's a rather animated girl, isn't she? And while we're at it, tell me. How is Kaman doing these days?"

"What do you mean?" Carlos said, confused. "The man's wife was killed by Shadows, and he hasn't been the same since. Not only that, he just awakened his Persona-"

"Oh, he did? Perfect. In that case, it matters not who's side he's on. Thanks to my creative thinking, his despair should easily influence the next Divine Spark, wherever it may be!" Nihane said, chuckling to himself.

"Your creative thinking? You don't mean -"

"Oh, but I do, my dear Carlos." Nihane said, holding up his clenched fist. "With his wife's eternal love, he cannot succumb to the despair like the others. Take away dear Maria Barrs from him, and he's dead inside. A decade of loneliness, with no one but drunkards for company…don't you see? Decisions like mine will bring forth the Eternal Road faster and faster!"

"How many others have you done this to?" Carlos suddenly asked, indignant.

"Don't get so violent, Carlos. You're rather unreasonable when you're confused. Occasions where I need to do this have become rare, but early on, there was no guarantee the Shadows would destroy the hope of the populace." Nihane said. "I merely did what I had to do. Once the Eternal Road is complete, it won't matter! If you're so upset, you can bring the lovely Maria back to Kaman. That might cheer him up a bit!"

"You-"

"I'd love to listen to your objections, but I'm afraid I must be going." Nihane said, leaving the room.

"...Nihane." Carlos said to himself. "Must we really go so far for our goal?"

_Aeternus Headquarters, Training Floor_

The headquarters felt even more cold and sterile than the secret lab did. The vast size, coupled with the bright white walls and floors, made it feel utterly soulless. Amara actually wondered how this place was made. Could Nihane have produced it with the power of his Persona?

"Okay, we're on the first of the training floors. Are Shirley and Lucy here?" Dan asked. "C'mon, Seraphina! Hurry up!"

"If you're going to rush me like that, then you run the risk of impairing my ability to locate them! So I recommend you keep quiet." Seraphina said, closing her eyes.

"Dan, calm down. Shirley will be fine." Kyle said. "If you keep shouting and throwing your weight around, you'll just get us all killed."

"Dammit, Kyle. I thought you were on my side here! I gotta get Shirley out of here, now!" Dan said, glaring at Kyle. "We could have avoided this if you had just told Lucy she couldn't come!"

"As I told you before, Dan, she didn't listen." Blaine said, shaking his head. "But I'm not letting them use Lucy as a weapon against us!"

"Alright, I want you all to listen to me carefully. Shirley and Lucy are very nearby, but if we all go after the two of them, we will be as good as dead." Seraphina said. "That is why I propose we split into teams, and block off exits."

"Whatever, as long as I'm in the team that finds Shirley!" Dan said. "Blaine should come with me too. Who else?"

"I'll go." Other Amara said.

"Me too!" Other Serena said, holding up her whip.

"I'll accompany you as well." Other Nathan said.

"In that case, I too will join your party. That makes six. Kaman, Keisha, as you two are new, I'm going to place you with Zao, Aimee, Kyle and Priscilla." Seraphina said. "Roger, Karen, I'd like you two to fight alongside the Holy Cross."

"It's a strange feeling, infiltrating our old headquarters. I wonder if they kept any of our belongings?" Alastair asked. "Although that's not pertinent right now. I could ask Tomas about it, I suppose."

"You know, every floor of this building is similar to this one. They're not the most imaginative architects, are they?" Bianca said. "Still, this place was our home for a long time. It's hard to believe we're no longer welcome here."

"We know the layout of this floor rather well. There's plenty of training rooms, usually reserved for the higher ranks of the Ornatu Legion or the Ater Vox." Kazuya said. "The Commander really put us through the ringer when it came to our training sessions…"

"I'm with you guys again? How predictable! Can't I be in Keisha's team for a change?" Richard whined.

"Sheesh, I figured we were gonna have some sort of party first!" Keisha said. "Guess we'll save that for later, then!"

"Shut it, lady." Kaman said. "I'm not in any mood for some stupid party."

"Maybe next time, Richard, but I prefer the teams this way. The Holy Cross should stay together, no matter what." Aimee said. "That leaves the gang from the other world, as well as Tara and Matthew."

"If we end up fighting Carlos…I'm not holding back!" Tara said. "I'll never forgive him for what he did to my family and Adrian!"

"Dan, do you want me to come with you?" Matthew asked. "Me and Lucy weren't exactly close, but-"

"No, you sit this one out. Just make sure no one gets in the way, okay?" Dan said. "C'mon, let's go!"

"Alright. Shirley and Lucy are in the room with the door marked 'X9'. The other world team, as there isn't an exit for you to guard, patrol the corridors and stop Shadows from attacking the other teams as much as you can." Seraphina said. The other teams left, exploring the area.

"Tomas and my dad are gonna kill us when they find out what we did…" Amara said.

"So even when you go into another dimension, you're a daddy's girl!" Blaine said, smirking. "Not to worry! We'll keep Rudo Furaha's little girl out of harm's way and bring her back before bedtime!" Amara sighed, but couldn't help but laugh.

"Let's get going, then." Tara said. "Wait, what's that room over there?" She pointed to a door that had a silver tint to it, with a strange symbol on it that looked like two zeroes drawn together.

"A symbol for infinity...interesting." Serena said. "I don't think this is an ordinary training room, do you?"

"Well, we could check it out, but what about the Shadows in the hallways?" Nathan said.

"Let me and Tara handle that. We'll take responsibility if something happens!" Matthew said.

"We will?" Tara said, confused. "...Fine, but just don't get killed!"

"We'll try..." Amara said. "You two be careful, okay?"

The four of them watched as Tara and Matthew ran off, and opened the door.

_Aeternus Headquarters, Training Floor_

Seraphina moved closer to the door, and positioned her head so she could listen at the door more easily.

"Can you hear anything?" Dan asked, anxiously.

"Yes. I do believe someone's complaining about Pierre's extensive use of cologne." Seraphina said. "Also, something about a birthday celebration in the cafeteria."

"Who celebrates a birthday in the cafeteria at their work?" Other Blaine said, scratching his head.

"Where else is there to go?" Other Serena said, shrugging. "It's not as if this place has a club, or a DJ. There's not even an Xbox."

"We're wasting time! Hurry up and try the next room!" Dan said, storming off to Room 5. The others followed him, and noticed the door wasn't properly shut. Dan looked inside, and gasped - but Seraphina covered his mouth before he could be heard.

"Don't be an idiot! They will hear you if you insist on making yourself so audible!" Seraphina admonished.

"But Seraphina!" Dan whispered. "She's in there! With Lucy, from the looks of things!"

"No way!" Other Blaine whispered. "What are they saying?"

"Listen carefully. You'll be able to hear them from here." Other Amara said. "Come on, don't mess up now."

"...So wait, you were with a man?" Shirley said, stunned. "What was he like?"

"Well, he was scary to begin with. Mean, grumbled a lot, and some really bad language. But then he started being nicer, and...well, I started to like him. A lot. It helped that he was really hot, too." Lucy said. Other Blaine's cheeks turned red, and he looked down at his shoes, embarrassed.

"What happened to him?" Shirley asked.

"It turns out he was the Commander of the Ornatu Legion. But he turned against them, and he was just using me!" Lucy said, sounding very upset. "He just used me for a good time before he went back to terrorise the city! Carlos told me the whole thing!"

"That lying bastard!" Other Amara said. "Blaine, don't rush in there yet, okay?"

"I can't just stand here! I have to get the story straight, now!" Other Blaine said.

"And you have the same Persona power he has now, right?" Shirley asked. "Could you show me?"

"Um, yeah. I'm still new at this, though. Inanna!"

This time, everyone peeked through the door, and saw Lucy's persona. The red haired goddess with the axe, Inanna.

"Whoa!" Other Blaine said, out loud. Seraphina smacked the back of his head, but she was too late. Shirley and Lucy saw him there, and froze on the spot.

"You should have just kept your big mouth shut!" Other Nathan said, exasperated. "No point staying here now. Get in there, and say your piece."

"Right." Other Blaine said, slowly getting inside the large training room. The others followed, trying to stay calm.

"Nice place. Could use a few potted plants or something, though. It's a bit drab." Other Amara said. "Oh. My name is Amara Furaha."

"Uh...hi?" Shirley said. "Haven't we met before?"

"No you haven't - wait a minute. I really do think I've seen her before, somewhere. Same with that chick in the fancy dress." Lucy said.

"My name is Seraphina. When I see your countenance up close, it does bring a sense of déjà vu."

"Um - Dan!" Shirley said, her face pale with fright. "You came all the way here just to see if I was okay?"

"Yeah, something like that." Dan said. "Good to see you're not hurt. If Carlos did anything to you, he'd be nothing more than a stain on that floor."

"Lucy..." Other Blaine said. "I shoulda known you'd come after me. You know now why I didn't let you tag along, right? You lucked out and got a Persona - thank god you did. If you hadn't, the Shadows would have destroyed you in seconds."

"I...um..." Lucy muttered, staring away. "I was really scared..." She abruptly turned angry, and pointed at Blaine, furious. "You total jerk! I should have known better than to fall for you! Why are you so determined to destroy Aeternus? They're the ones who gave you warmth, food, and shelter only for you to throw it back in their face!"

"And you used her just for nookie, too!" Shirley said.

"...Nookie?" Other Nathan said.

"You do know what she meant by that, right?" Other Serena said.

"It's not a phrase I'm familiar with, so no." Other Nathan replied.

"What are you, a kid? She was talking about procreation!" Other Amara said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Can we get away from that subject, please? I don't particularly need to imagine anyone in this room in that intimate situation at this moment of time." Seraphina said.

"Okay, then what about Kanaloa? You were supposed to guard your hometown! But you just blew it up, killing all your friends and family!" Lucy shouted, enraged. "I can't believe I kissed a murdering scumbag like you!"

"...Scumbag is right. I really was a piece of shit when I was a kid. I just went around picking up girls, getting into fights, and making trouble that Dan had to clean up." Other Blaine said, sighing. "The truth is, Kanaloa getting destroyed wasn't my idea. Aeternus did it. Don't you get it? This whole place is built on top of where Kanaloa used to be!"

"You're making that up!" Lucy yelled. "You bastard! Just when I thought I'd met someone wonderful, everything goes wrong! Inanna, Agilao him now!"

Other Blaine shut his eyes, but someone shoved him aside. The flames hit Other Amara, who's Sekhmet barely even flinched.

"If you want to get at him, you'll have to get through me first. But before you do, you need to hear this. I thought that Blaine here was the man who murdered my father, and was on the side of Aeternus." Other Amara said. "But that wasn't the case. My father is alive and well, and he's helping me find the way to end the injustice Nihane and the others are behind."

"That's right! Did you really think Aeternus could have built this place without destroying an entire district?" Other Serena said. "They just picked the one the city could do without, and that turned out to be Kanaloa!"

"We also thought Blaine was our enemy. I was led to believe my dear father was slain by his hand - but the culprit was none other than the wretched Josephine Johnson." Other Nathan said. "Please trust us. If you stay with this organisation, you will be merely a sacrifice for something that will destroy the entire universe!"

"What do you mean?" Shirley asked. "Destroy the entire universe? Are the Shadows capable of doing that?"

"Not themselves, but Nihane's trying to cause Divine Sparks in the rest of the city. He's got two more to go, and once he does that, the world goes bye bye. He's screwing with all of us here, until we're nothing but pure energy that fuels the Sparks!" Other Blaine said. "Listen to me, Lucy. I told you how I really felt, and I meant every word. I really did want to stay, but I have a duty here to save this city. You've got to trust me on this one! I still love you, you know. I'm fighting against Aeternus to make up for what following them did."

"I..." Lucy said. Before she could say anything else, blasts of wind hit everyone.

"Huh?!" Seraphina wailed, clutching her dress. "Oh no! It's-"

"Greetings, everyone. I'm rather surprised you made it inside our facilities."

Carlos materialised in front of Lucy and Shirley, smirking.

"You bastard!" Dan said, finally breaking his silence. "Thanks to you, Kaman's bar is gone! Now give back Shirley, right now!"

"Why should I do that?" Carlos said, grabbing Shirley. Lucy gasped, and Shirley struggled. However, she wasn't quite able to break free from his grip. "After all, Lucy has the potential to become disobedient without any reason to hold her here. That reason is of course her precious childhood friend, Shirley."

"Have you no shame?" Other Nathan said. "First you blow up Kaman's bar, now you abduct an innocent and frightened woman! I cannot tolerate such actions!"

"Kaman..." Carlos said, deep in thought. "Yes, he was a rather tragic figure. His wife died just after the Shadows arrived, and he had to endure the empty years alone. All because of - no, never mind. What you said of the Eternal Road isn't quite correct, however. It won't destroy the universe, rather recreate it. Those of us who support our goals will be given the chance to influence the new world with their deepest desires. Lucy, what do you desire most? A chance to undo your empty, meaningless choices and live in paradise with Shirley? Or a peaceful, idyllic city of wonder where you and Blaine here can enjoy romantic walks, and he actually listens to your feelings?" Carlos said.

"Listen to me, Nadal." Other Blaine said. It sounded like it hurt to utter every syllable. "You might think just cause I've been alone for this long, all I want is an easy girl. But as mad as it sounds, I love Lucy! I'd like nothing better than to stay in Clairdol, and letting her rant at me about how bad work was that day. Right now, you're holding her best friend hostage. And funnily enough, that best friend is the girl my own friend is in love with. So if you think you're getting away with this shit, you've got another thing coming! Hand her over, right now!"

"You'd better do as he says. You harm either of those girls, you're gonna pay." Dan said, readying his rifle.

"Every time one of us fights your lot, we have a new speech to look forward to. That wasn't terrible, yet you really should just go ahead and start attacking if you're trying to scare me. Very well, if a fight is what you wish for, I think I can do without the audience, however. Let's make this a fairer fight, shall we? Venti, remove the superfluous guests!" Carlos summoned Venti, and with more gusts of wind, sent Amara, Serena, Seraphina and Nathan flying outside the room. The door slammed shut, and no amount of banging on Amara's part made the door open.

"Carlos, what are you doing?!" Lucy wailed.

Carlos clicked his fingers, and a Shadow grabbed Shirley. Ignoring everyone's wails of panic, the Shadow formed a protective barrier, and transported to the centre of the room.

"This is the training exercise we need, Lucy! Aid me, or I'll have to use Shirley as my next punching bag. Do as I say if you want her to live." Carlos said, raising his fists. Lucy looked at Other Blaine, and at Shirley. She pulled out her weapon, and, aimed it at Blaine.

"You're only fighting me to protect Shirley, right?" Blaine said. "Then do it. Whatever you need to do to keep her safe. I won't hurt you, so go all out!"

"What? She could kill you!" Dan said, incredulous.

"Dan, think about it. The best move she's got is Agilao. You really think she's going to be dishing out the dirt here?" Blaine said. "Besides, we know who the real target is."

"That's right. Then let the fight begin." Carlos said, and he raced forward with Venti's winds blowing behind him.

_Aeternus Headquarters, Southwest Exit_

"Shit!" Kaman cried. A group of Shadows had just emerged, and blindsided him with a barrage of Zanma spells and piercing strikes. Growling, he summoned Chandra, and eyed down his assailants.

"Take this!" Zao cried. Rashnu sent forth a Zionga spell, finishing off a peculiar Shadow that resembled a police officer with a floating key inside. "Ha! How about that, Aimee?"

"You're doing much better!" Aimee said, smiling. "Keisha, you're up next!"

"Lorelei, **Aria Di Sorbetto**!" Keisha commanded. Lorelei appeared, and stood on top of a strange Shadow that looked like a gnarled blossom tree. The Shadow's confusion heightened upon the soothing, yet eerie, melody that Lorelei played on her flute. Sharp cone-shaped icicles fell from the ceiling, and the Shadow disappeared from the pain of the attack.

"Okay, not bad. Now have some of this! Magma Sword!" Kyle said, using Hephaestus's sword with the power of earth. The 'Jotun' Shadow, as Kyle knew it as, fell over, wriggling to get upright.

"So I can attack too, right? I think I know a different move this time. Wingbeat!" Kaman roared, as Chandra flapped his brightly coloured wings. Feathers in the shape of razor blades slashed the Jotun, spilling it's blood all over the floor. "Now I'll get the other one! Kaleidoblast!" Chandra faced the remaining Jotun, and cast forth another multicoloured wind. The Shadow survived, yet looked very confused. It started to cast Mudoon, and Aimee instinctively started to prepare a Recarm - but to her surprise, the Mudoon destroyed a Maya Shadow that had just appeared.

"Well, that was certainly lucky." Priscilla said. "This should go down easily. Let me do the honours. Bufudyne!" Uathach's ice spell wasn't quite as strong or fast as the Aria Di Sorbetto, but it hurt the Shadow quite badly. Keisha and Priscilla dashed forward, and swung their weapons. Keisha's physical strength, however, outshone Priscilla's, and her fast attacks defeated the Shadow.

"Well done, everyone!" Aimee said. "Oh! Kaman, you're bleeding…"

"Huh? N-no, I'm okay." Kaman said. "We don't have time to break out the first-aid kid!"

"She doesn't need one, dummy! Just watch!" Zao said, grinning. Kaman's look of disdain didn't deter him a bit, as very soon, a Diarama spell from Irene healed Kaman's wounds.

"Hey...that feels nice." Kaman said. "Aimee, was it?"

"Aimee Davenport. My Persona isn't good for anything but healing, which is why I had to leave it to the rest of you to handle those enemies." Aimee said, sadly. "But my ability to restore people to full health is second to none. It's up to me to make sure everyone stays alive."

"That's a wonderful ability. You should be proud." Kaman said, holding out his hand. "And your teleportation magic saved my life, too. Not that I had much of one, ever since..."

"Since what?" Keisha asked, confused.

"...Since my wife died." Kaman said. "You kind of remind me of her, Aimee. Not the way you look, but the way you value helping others. She wanted to be a teacher, but she never got that chance."

"Kaman..."

"Being without Maria made the last ten years a living hell. The Shadows didn't matter, as long as I had her. But I had to watch as they tore her apart. I..." Kaman said, eyes welling up.

"This is boring. Can we go check out another spot now?" Keisha asked.

"Keisha! Don't be so rude! We can't move from here, anyway. There could be Shadows or Ornatu Legion members trying to ambush us!" Priscilla said, frowning.

"Alright already! I'm just saying, we've all had a lot of bad stuff happen to us. Precious people are gone that we can't replace. But why depress ourselves by rambling about it day and night? What good does that do, to you or those who are now watching over you?" Keisha said. "What's moping around ever did for anyone? Nothing!"

"...Heh." Kaman said. "She's right. It didn't do anything at all."

_Aeternus Headquarters, Training Room_

"Wind Fist!"

Carlos and Venti knocked Dan to the floor, and laughed. Blaine quickly shot at him, but the bullets were dodged.

"So, do you not have any other attacks?" Carlos asked. "All you've done are try to clobber me with that hammer, or bisect me with that scythe! Not to mention the cavalcade of Ziodyne spells. If brute force is the only strategy you have, you're never going to get dear Lucy back. Or Shirley, for that matter!"

"I..." Lucy hesitated, but she shot at Blaine. He took the hit, and breathed a sigh of relief. Tlaloc had saved him from countless would-be fatal injuries over the years, and dealt several actually fatal ones. Now, he was fighting the one person he couldn't bring himself to harm.

"Lucy, you feeble girl! Do you want Shirley to survive? Use Inanna!" Carlos demeaned, pointing at the trapped Shirley. "Soaring Flash!" Venti slammed his fist into the ground, and a surge of energy sent Dan into the air.

"...Lava Rain!" Lucy meekly called out. Inanna leapt up high, and kicked down tiny spheres of fire. The stream of fireballs lasted for quite some time, and immediately after they ended, Carlos dashed forward, and punched Dan into a wall.

"Nggh..." Dan said, weakly. "Shirley...I couldn't..."

"Allow me to finish this lout off. Skyward Dragon-"

Before Venti could perform his uppercut, Carlos was struck from behind by some rather vicious swings. Right after that, a bladed ring of metal flew across the room, tearing Carlos' clothes.

"Urgh! Who was that?!" Carlos demanded. Behind him were Rudo and Tomas. Rudo had his hat on, whilst Tomas wore no disguise whatsoever. "You're that old man Archibald has working under him! Who is that man?"

"It doesn't matter who we are. What does matter is that we defeat you!" Tomas said, laughing insanely. "Belial! Attack, now!"

Belial emerged - and Shirley started screaming. Lucy turned around, and ran over to her, ignoring Carlos' demands to come back. However, a dark glyph beneath her feet activated, and she fell unconscious.

"No!" Blaine cried. "Why the fuck did you do that?"

"Well, she was on his side, wasn't she?" Tomas said, shrugging. "Besides, with her knocked out, it should be a lot easier to concentrate on Mr Nadal over here."

"Shirley! Relax, I'll take care of him!" Dan shouted, but Shirley didn't listen. She gazed in terror at Belial, the demonic Persona. "What's wrong with her?"

"Why ask me? I'm not quite sure how Tomas here obtained his Persona, or why he's so determined to fight me. He must have turned Shadow energy into his Belial. Could his Persona be born from the thoughts of someone Shirley here knows?" Carlos said, looking at Shirley as she pounded on the barrier. "You've certainly dabbled in dark arts."

"That's right." Tomas said, smirking as Belial lashed at Carlos with his scythe. Dan fired at Carlos, then cast another Ziodyne.

"Enough! Skyward Dragon!" Carlos shouted. Venti punched Blaine and Dan up until the air, and before they landed on the ground, Carlos cast Magarudyne. The wind pummelled them, making their fall even more painful.

"Honestly, you men should be more careful. I've had thought living in Kanaloa would have made you seasoned pros. Let me help." Rudo said, summoning Nebiros. Shirley recoiled in horror again, but the barrier muffled out her cry of horror. Rudo kept calm, and used Mediarama.

"Phew. Thanks, old man." Blaine said. "Dan, c'mon. It's time we worked together."

"Right. You know what to do. Tezcatlipoca, time to show how badass you really are!" Dan said. Tlaloc and Tezcatlipoca spun around Carlos, firing beams of electricity at him. Their bodies generated fierce amounts of electricity, and their weapons gathered the residual energy. Finally, Dan and Blaine roared out their new attack's name, as the two Personas struck Carlos at breakneck speeds.

"Twin Torture!"

Carlos was bruised all over, with many wounds over his body. Venti disappeared, and Carlos fell over, cursing under his breath.

"Shirley..." Dan said, looking over at her. The barrier disappeared, but she did not leave her spot. She covered her face, still paralysed with fear.

"Lucy...dammit." Blaine went over to her body, and checked her pulse. To his relief, she was still alive.

"So, you two want them that badly, do you? Well then...too bad!" Carlos said, clicking his fingers. Shadows grabbed Lucy and Shirley, and they disappeared via flying through the floor.

"No!" Blaine yelled. "What the hell are you gonna do with them now?"

"We need them. We cannot let you win all the time." Carlos said, angrily. "I never imagined I would lose in battle like my comrades…but I will not hand over those women. Nihane's ways may be cruel, but they have the potential to change our entire world. My daughter will be much happier in the new world!"

Right then and there, Carlos vanished as well. Rudo sighed, whilst Tomas laughed.

"Isn't this exciting? A fight for the ages to save the women you love! Yes, a truly marvellous battle lies ahead. Next time, I believe I will really have Carlos on the ropes!" Tomas said, continuing to laugh.

"Why was Shirley so afraid of our Personas?" Rudo asked. "You created them, correct?"

"I did have a large role in their creation, yes. Perhaps it's exactly as Carlos said. Shirley has a past with two thugs I…encountered." Tomas said. "I was only here to admonish you for breaking into headquarters, however. I wasn't anticipating Carlos to attack, but I think we handled it fairly well."

"Never mind that shit! What's going to happen to those girls now?" Dan said. He marched over to Tomas, and lifted him off the floor, grabbing his coat. "You better have a plan!"

"Plan? All I have planned is the Divine Spark counter measure! Once we do that, however, we should easily be able to rescue your precious Shirley. And the lovely Lucy. She had a Persona, correct? I hope there's someone else with her Arcana around we can use. If not, we may be in trouble!" Tomas said. Despite Dan's strength and height, he continued chuckling to himself.

"We need to get away from this place. Unfortunately, without Seraphina, there won't be a way to leave without being detected. I promise that I'll do what I can to ensure Lucy and Shirley's safety. Storming in here wasn't the best option, but I understand your convictions." Rudo said.

"...You better keep that promise." Blaine said. "Cause if she winds up dead because of all of this, I'm not letting anyone responsible get away."

_Training Room, Corridor_

"Shit!" Other Amara cried.

"Would you stop swearing? You're as bad as Blaine!" Other Nathan said, shaking his head. "I can't approve of a lady speaking in such a manner."

"Must you focus on that now?! Blaine and Dan are in trouble!" Other Serena said, anxiously looking at the door. "And it won't open! What are we going to do?"

"I cannot say at this moment, Lady Serena, yet I am afraid there are Shadows approaching." Seraphina stated. That second, a swarm of Hourglass and Cupid Shadows surrounded the team.

"Oh god. Let's beat them quick!" Other Amara said. "Sekhmet, Ruby Ignition!" The shining flare hit one of the Cupids, preventing it from firing an arrow of love - of sorts.

"Seraphina, what are they weak to?" Other Nathan asked. Seraphina, however, stared in the distance, and ignored the question. She seemed to be in another world. "Seraphina!"

"They're here..." Seraphina said. Standing further away where two women, a short lady with brown hair and a meek face, and a tougher, taller woman with long teal hair. Both of them were wearing lab coats, the shorter lady wearing glasses.

"Sophie! I wasn't expecting you here today!" the brunette woman said.

"Sophie?!" Other Amara couldn't believe this. Seraphina's real name was Sophie?

"Yes..." Seraphina said. "I must go. Use Agi and Aqua spells to quickly defeat them. Do not let the Ater Vox know my true name."

"Wait a minute! You can't just leave us here!" Other Serena said. Seraphina quickly reached the two ladies, and the three of them went into a small kitchen.

"Evidently, she can." Other Nathan said. "You heard what she said. Amara, Serena, you have Maragilao and Malaques! Use them!"

"Right!" Other Serena said. "Artemis! Malaques!"

"Sekhmet! Maragilao!" Other Amara called out.

The Shadows were struck with the searing flames and tides of death. Out of luck, and with no love from their enemies, they were destroyed immediately.

"That was easy. What the hell was that Sophie thing about, though?" Other Amara asked. "Who were those women?"

"No point asking us. We don't know anything about her." Other Serena said. "Looks like we're at the tip of the iceberg, though. Sophie…it's a pretty name, isn't it?"

"I suppose so. Anyway, we need to find the others." Other Nathan said.

"Yeah." Other Amara said. "Gimme a sec to catch my breath."

Other Serena and Nathan left, and Other Amara stood by the door, breathing heavily. Suddenly, she felt faint, and her vision turned completely white.

"Huh?! What's happening?!"

_Aeternus Headquarters, Eternity Hall_

The room was a vast, rather empty area decorated only by metallic pillars and a bright neon glyph on the black white wall. Looking more closely, the glyph was on top of a map of New Motus City - with a black circle marking the perimeter of the city. It was the Eternal Road symbol, with seven spheres - one for each of the district, and one for the very centre of the city itself.

"Hey, look!" Serena said. "The sphere for Kanaloa. It's not as bright as the ones for Farawell, Takanawa and Nova Albion. About half the brightness."

"What does that mean? Do they need to change the light bulbs?" Blaine asked. "Say...how many Shadows does it take to change a light bulb?"

"Since you haven't thought out a punch line, Blaine, I'm going to just ignore that." Nathan said. "The ones for Saragel and Legarte are still dormant, thank goodness. The one in the centre. Isn't that where the convention centre is?"

"I didn't realise it was in the exact centre of the city. That's weird..." Amara said. "So once the six Divine Sparks happen, does something happen in the centre of the city?"

"An excellent deduction, you clever girl."

At the other end of the room was none other than Nihane Kronos. The last time Amara had met him, he was enraged at the presence of others in Inanis. This time, he was completely calm. He actually seemed pleased to meet them again - but not for good reasons.

"There you are...Ethan." Amara said, with a cold voice. Even she was surprised at the sound of her animosity - this was the first time she had sounded so full of hate.

"How many times do I have to say it, you worthless woman? I am Ethan no more! I have discovered who I was meant to be! The ruler of Amurdad, Nihane Kronos! It is my right to carry on my legacy!" Nihane barked.

"Yeah. I know. But your legacy doesn't really matter to me." Amara said. "What happened to Amurdad was tragic, we know that. But what you're doing is even worse. The people of this era have no reason to suffer because of what their ancestors did! That's the worst excuse to destroy the world ever! Let what happened in the past go already! Get over it! Nothing good will come of your insanity!"

"What would you know, Miss Furaha? You're one of the privileged ones. Your father is a wealthy oil tycoon who loved you! You accomplished your most cherished dream of being a popular artist, and will no doubt go on to gain even more furore. Look at your friends - they're not the same age as you, nor even do they share the same interests as you. But even so, they're supporting your ignorant rebellion against me." Nihane chided. "If you had any idea how hard the rest of the world has it, you'd see why I want - no, have to do this! Are you trying to suggest that if I backed down, the world would magically improve on it's own? No more repeats of Amurdad would occur? This planet will never reach such an age of peace and harmony with that kind of fuzzy thinking. Never. That's why the Eternal Road must be complete! If not, scum like you will lead the world to ruin!"

Nihane's words seemed to echo in Amara's ears. People like her, leading the world to ruin. She had to admit, life had been easy for her. She found her life's calling at an early age, and she was the kind of person who made friends easily. Perhaps Ethan had never had the love and support she did. Even so, Amara couldn't let him get away with all he had done. Even if the Eternal Road did create a new and perfect world, she was not about to sacrifice the old one to do it.

"I've heard enough! You're not giving up Shirley and Lucy without a fight, are you? Then bring it. I can take you now! Janus can't compare to Hathor! Not this time. I'm going to burn you to ashes, and that's _final_! Do you hear me?!"

"Amara, chill out!" Serena said.

"No. This is good." Nathan said. "She's always been determined, but never like this before. With that ambition in her heart, her Persona should get even stronger. Makes me feel like fighting, too."

"It does?" Serena said. "Nihane...he ruined my sister's life. And my other self's, too!"

"Don't forget everything he did to mine. Not to mention Kanaloa." Blaine said. "Hey, Amara! You want back up? You got it!"

"Thanks, guys. I'm counting on you." Amara said. "Nihane, this is not going to be like our last fight. You won't be able to take us down with one move. I'll take everything you've got, and give you even more! Your Eternal Road will never be complete!"

"So you claim!" Nihane said. "You four are stronger than before. I can feel it, radiating from each of your Personas. Yet you seem to have forgotten just how badly you were defeated in Takanawa. I may have to remind you - and you won't get an opportunity to remember this time."

"Put a sock in it!" Serena shouted. "Mind Charge!" Artemis emerged and charged herself with intense magic power. Nihane darted at her with his sword, but she narrowly got out of the way, and hit him with the whip.

Blaine quickly shot at Nihane, then sent forth a Ziodyne. Nihane's eyes widened at the strength of this attack, and he started laughing - not even stopping when Amara and Nathan tried to attack him with their weapons.

"What are you laughin' at, dickhead?" Blaine said.

"You're definitely more powerful than you were the last time we were in battle." Nihane said, his voice tainted with a sickeningly cheerful tone. "But your forgetfulness holds no bounds. You realise that your weaknesses haven't changed, correct? Then-"

"Ah, shaddup. Agilao - no, AGIDYNE!" Amara screamed. Just like Blaine did with his lightning, her skill with fire magic had increased even further. "Marakukaja!"

"So that's the way you're going to play it. Defensive, attempting to reduce the damage of my onslaught." Nihane said, watching as the purple columns of light encased the four opposing him. "Megidola!"

"Shit!" Serena said, as a powerful blast of mighty power struck everyone, sending them to the floor. Amara's Marakukaja had made it more tolerable, but they wouldn't survive another one in this state.

"Setanta! Spear Gust!" Nathan shouted. Setanta swung his sphere, sending sharp gusts of wind at Nihane, who wasn't agile enough to dodge them. Neither of them seemed to hurt him, but right after the last gust, Setanta's spear flew from his hands and struck Nihane, knocking him backwards into a pillar. Right after that, Nathan quickly used Sukukaja on Blaine.

"Hey, why me?" Blaine asked.

"You're the slowest!" Nathan said, with a quirky smile.

"Oh come on!" Blaine said, rolling his eyes. "You're no athlete yourself!"

"What the - No! Malaquadyne!" Nihane watched as his Persona summoned gushing streams of water, which crashed into the team with severe force. Amara felt like she was being swept away by a high tide, and her arms and legs ached.

"Argh! My suit's completely drenched!" Nathan wailed. _I think you can just replace it with one of your spares, dude._

"Shit!" Blaine croaked. He tried, but he couldn't find the energy to get himself off the floor. "Serena, make with the heals! I'm dying here!"

"Don't boss me around! Mediarama!" Serena conjured her healing magic - but thanks to a new ability she had learned, Mediarama was far more potent than usual. This time, Amara felt her body being completely replenished. It was like having a coffee after a long and tedious day at work, except without the high content of caffeine.

"Wow, that felt good!" Blaine said, jumping up. He quickly fired at Nihane again, and then had Tlaloc swing down his hammer. Nathan smiled, and began preparing an attack.

"Garu...DYNE!" he roared, as a fierce green hurricane bombarded Nihane. Despite the strength with which they were attacking him, he shrugged, no longer impressed.

"Don't get so confident. If you need to heal after every one of my attacks, you'll never outlast me!" Nihane said. He rolled forward, and slashed Amara up repeatedly. "Now die! Bufudyne!"

"NO!" Amara screamed. She was utterly helpless to stop the ice blast, and collapsed, her body chilled to the bone.

"Okay, now it's time! Aques - wait, I think I can do it too! Aquadyne!" Serena smiled. Now, Aques was a thing of the past. From now on, all four of them would be able to make use of Dyne magic, like Nihane could. Artemis' boosted magic power made the torrent of water even more potent, and it was Nihane's turn to be soaked. Amara quickly stood up, her body still in pain. Watching Nihane stare at her, she seethed, and struck him with her sword as strong as she could. The protection Marakukaja granted her seemed to have worn off, however.

"Dammit!" Nihane cried. Blocking Amara's violent swings, he jumped backwards, out of his enemy's reach. "I should have destroyed you by now! You four - you just don't know when to quit!"

"The great and mighty Nihane, waiting for his enemies to give in? Now that's rich!" Blaine said. "Come on, we know you've been holding back! What else you got?"

"Ugh!" Nihane shouted. "I didn't want to use this, but if it takes you out forever, so be it! Janus, come forth!"

Amara felt her whole body tremble as both parts of Janus burst out of Nihane's body. She had dealt with them enough during this entire altercation, but now she felt how serious they were. They looked just as angry as Nihane did, if not more.

Tiny clusters of energy spheres gathered around the two Personas, and they started colliding. Amara was expecting a massive barrage of attacks, but the tiny blasts that occurred when the spheres hit each other didn't seem to cause damage. Eventually, the energy from the collisions resulted in a terrifying huge black and white sphere. It resembled a planet, with white oceans and constantly changing continents.

"What is Nihane doing?" Serena asked.

"I don't know. Stay on your guard! I don't think we can get out of this attack's way!" Nathan said.

Amara gasped. The sphere suddenly started flashing rapidly, and the black continents started to form a swirled mess. Both the male and female Janus smacked it with their full strength, giving it an unholy red aura. The planet-like ball crashed into the ground, and all Amara could see was white.

"Equinox!" was the last thing Amara heard.

_Empty Space_

So Amara had fallen victim to Nihane's Equinox. A perfect blend of the light and the dark, night and day…it must have destroyed her entire body. Where would her spirit go? She wasn't in her own dimension anymore…Zao would never see her again. Neither would her father, Lucy, Colette, Juan, Shirley, Karen…and there was so much more she had yet to see. Her life was truly over.

_Calm yourself, bearer of the sun. You will live on. I, Philemon, granted you this power so you could prevent the two worlds from colliding. Hathor's fire continues to burn. _

"Hey, it's you!"

Other Amara was right in front of her, looking dazed. This was like when they first truly met - when Amara was forced into the other world, her other self was sent to the 'normal' world for the first time. Yet neither of them had time to process such an event. Both of them were sent flying through white space for what felt like aeons - and now they were in the same emptiness.

"What's going on? Nihane hit us with some attack, and -"

"I was with the other versions of your friends. It's hard to find the right way to phrase that, I know. But anyway, we were with Lucy and Shirley when Carlos shows up and sends everyone but Dan and Blaine outside the room. Then we start fighting Shadows, when Seraphina runs off after these two women. I didn't recognise either of them. Anyway, after that happens, my head feels funny, and I end up right in front of myself."

"Wow..." Amara said. "So I'm not dead after all. I thought his Equinox attack had finished us off for sure."

"C'mon, did you really think you couldn't take it? You're meant to be other me! You're supposed to be able to fight back!" Other Amara said. "But I guess you've only been fighting for a few months. You're good, but maybe you still don't get how hard this world is."

"You're probably right. I didn't have to live here for ten years in hiding. You did. We're the same person, but we became so different..." Amara said.

"You know how hard it is to not run after you when you head back home?" Other Amara said. "I'd love to be able to live like you, drawing for a living. Not to mention, Zao - uh, never mind."

"Hey! Zao's mine!" Amara said. "But if we find the Zao of this world, you can take him."

"I'll hold you to that." Other Amara said. "Remember, you can't have them both! Anyway, what's going on? Are we stuck here?"

"I don't know - hey, there we go!" Amara said, as the bright light finally faded. She could see what looked like an office building, with many people sitting at desks in front of old computers. _CRT monitors. To think they used to be cool._

"I've seen this before. In fact, isn't that guy-"

"Ethan!" a friendly voice said. Amara looked down, and saw Ethan at his computer, hard at work. He didn't seem to hear the voice - but then again, this was his memory. He must have heard it if Amara could hear it. Even so, he just ignored whoever it was that was calling him.

"Nihane Kronos. Or rather, Ethan Walters." Amara said. "They can't hear us. We're in a memory."

"A memory? No wonder I feel so weightless..." Other Amara said.

Sure enough, Carlos ran up to Ethan and ruffled his hair, laughing.

"Argh! Carlos, stop doing that!" Ethan said.

"Didn't you hear me?" Carlos said. "Archie told me to tell you that we're having another meeting after work today. It won't take long."

"Oh. I'll be there, don't worry." Ethan said. "I'm sorry, Carlos, but I really need to concentrate on configuring that server-"

"There's something else I wanted to ask ya. You want to come out with Pierre and me tonight?" Carlos asked. "I know lots of cool places in Saragel we can hit. There's a great Latin Rhythm club, and you'll love it!"

"Hmm. Well, if you two are going, I wouldn't mind coming along." Ethan said. "What time?"

"We're meeting at Saragel promenade at eight, in front of the paella store. Get your best clothes on, too. There will be plenty of senoritas waiting for you!" Carlos said, smiling.

"Waiting for me?" Ethan said, blushing. "Don't be silly. They'd be more interested in you. Or Pierre."

"C'mon, you're the youngest one in our little gang. Besides, you really think Pierre's got the masculinity to overshadow yours?" Carlos said. "Trust me, as cool as he is, he's a total sissy. You...well, you're kind of a wimp, but if you play your cards right, you'll have them all over you. I'll even be your wingman, too!"

"Haha! I don't care about that so much. As long as I get to have some fun with you two, that's fine with me." Ethan said. "I'll see you at this meeting, then."

"Okay! Later!" Carlos said. Ethan shrugged, and continued typing away in some kind of network simulator program. Amara stared, and saw a slight smile on his face.

_Could the Shadows really have driven you to this, Ethan Walters? Why couldn't the six of you stayed the same? _

Suddenly, the vision changed. Ethan was walking outside of the Aeternus building, glancing at a billboard for some new radio station. As he was about to cross the road, Nina suddenly ran up to him.

"Ethan! Are you going home now?" she asked, looking uneasy.

"That's right. Aren't you?" Ethan said. "It's looking cloudy…you should probably have brought an umbrella. So should I, come to think of it."

"That's alright. I'll just go shopping and maybe pick one up on my way out." Nina said. "But Ethan, I know you're going out with Pierre and Carlos tonight, but are you busy tomorrow?"

"No, not at all. If you're free, perhaps we could spend some time together?" Ethan said. The way he said this, he sounded as if it was a regular occurrence. Nina, however, looked overjoyed.

"Aww, you knew what I wanted to ask you? Yes, tomorrow night, I'd like us to go out somewhere. How about we got to that cinema in Farawell and see what's on?" Nina asked, her cheeks bright red.

"Yes, that would suit me just fine." Ethan said. "It's strange, up until I started working for Aeternus, I never 'hung out' with friends. Not even whilst I was at college."

"Really? I was out most nights with the girls!" Nina said. "Don't you worry, we'll make up for lost time. Starting with your partying tonight. I hope Carlos and Pierre aren't too rough on you. Well, Pierre's about as scary as a newborn kitten, but Carlos does like to show off…"

"Don't worry, Nina. I'll come back alive." Ethan said, with a comical smile.

Nina laughed, and smiled as they crossed the road. "You'd better! I don't want to have to ask Josephine to come with me again. She's so boring…unlike you!"

"If you're going shopping, can I come with you? I need to pick up some groceries." Ethan said. "And perhaps an umbrella, too."

"No problem! Lead the way, Ethan!" Nina said.

"So that was who Nihane used to be." Other Amara said.

"Yeah. He wasn't going on about Amurdad, or the Eternal Road, or his 'legacy' back then at all. He was just a lonely guy who finally found friends…" Amara said.

"What I wanna know is, why do we keep seeing Nihane's memories?" Other Amara asked. "I mean, what are we supposed to do? We can't change what happened in the past, can we?"

"Maybe not. There has to be a reason. I don't think Nihane can go back to being Ethan - not anymore. The person he was then and the man he is now are two entirely different beings." Amara said. "At least, that's how I see it."

"Now that you say it, those words do make sense. Nihane and Ethan _are_ different people." Other Amara said. "Hey, don't you have something that belongs to me?"

"Huh? Oh! The ankh!" Amara said. "I'm sorry! I've been so busy with this, I completely forgot to return it!"

"It's fine. I'll get it when we wake up. You better hurry up, though." Other Amara said. "Then again, so should I. Nathan and Serena are probably worried sick by now!"

Amara smiled, and finally, she was no longer in the New Motus City of 2000.

_Aeternus Headquarters, Eternity Chamber_

"Amara! What happened?" Serena cried, kneeling over Amara's body. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"I'm fine, Serena. Settle down. I...saw Ethan again." Amara said, slowly sitting up. Nathan lent her a hand, and she stood up. "Carlos invited him out for a drink with him and Pierre, then Nina asked him out on a date. I didn't see Archibald or Josephine."

"Seriously? You'd have to be desperate to hang out with Pierre. That guy's probably all about expensive fancy wine imported from cities I've never even heard of." Blaine said. "Wait, never mind that. I'm just glad you're okay!"

"Thanks, Blaine. But how did we survive Equinox?" Amara asked. "I was convinced we were dead!"

"So was I. When all I saw was emptiness, I was...well..." Nathan said, looking down. "I thought I would never see Priscilla ever again. I...let's just say I let my emotions get the better of me."

"In other words, you were crying like a baby!" Blaine said, cheerfully.

"What the - hey, don't laugh! You probably thought you were dead, too!" Nathan retorted.

"…Sorry. Yeah, I did get a little worried. Mostly about Dan. That guy's already lost one bro. He sure as hell isn't going to lose another one." Blaine said. "Not only that, but if I died here, I'd have my girl crying like a baby too."

"Never mind that, guys. Where is Nihane?" Amara asked. "Oh..."

Nihane was kneeling by the glyph on the wall, exhausted. She couldn't see his face, but…he seemed too distracted by his own pain to notice the four of them.

"...Archie..."

"Huh? Why's he talking about that old bastard now?" Blaine asked.

"Nina...Josephine...Pierre...Carlos...I'm sorry...you're all like this...because of me..."

"Isn't it a little late for a guilty conscience, Nihane?" Serena said.

"Don't bother with that. He can't hear a word we're saying." Blaine said. "Seriously, if he wasn't the leader of an evil corporation, I'd feel sorry for the man."

"Guys...I don't think...I can stop it anymore..." Nihane said. Finally, he lifted his face up. His eyes were no longer orange, but instead a deep blue colour. _Ethan's eyes? But why?_

"...Are you alright?" Amara asked.

"You're...not dead...I think I...redirected that attack...but..." Nihane panted, his arms barely able to keep him off the floor. "Please...get out of..."

"You want us to get out of the headquarters? Now?" Amara asked. "But what about our friends?"

"Oh crap! Everyone else split up!" Serena said. "What do we do now?"

"Phew, you're all in here!" Other Amara said, running inside the room, with the other versions of Blaine, Serena and Nathan. Dan was with them too, but there was no sign of Seraphina.

"Yeah. Oh, before I forget, here." Amara said, handing over the ankh. Other Amara eagerly grabbed it, and put it around her neck.

"Thanks, um, me!" Other Amara said. "What happened to Nihane?"

"I don't know. He tried to kill us, but I think he got hit by the move instead." Serena said. "So even he can't kill himself."

"What happened to Lucy?" Nathan asked.

"...Carlos made her fight me." Other Blaine said, looking grim. "I tried to tell her she was being used by them, not me. I dunno if I got through to her, but Carlos took her and Shirley away."

"My father and Tomas tried to fight Carlos, but it wasn't enough. We still didn't save them…" Other Amara said. _Dad tried to use his Persona? I hope it didn't hurt him..._

"It's my fault. If I had just taken her with me that day, I probably could have kept her safe, especially with all you guys helping. But it's too late for that now. She's with the enemy now, and Shirley's being held hostage!" Other Blaine said.

"So what, are you just gonna give up on her?" Blaine said. "Don't be fucking stupid. Lucy's the best thing that's happened to me in a long time. If it happened in both our worlds, doesn't that mean it was meant to be?"

"Remember Karen and Roger? We got them on our side eventually. Shirley and Lucy will join us at some point, I know they will!" Amara said.

"Yes, but what about what Stella said?" Serena said, worried. "If she's right, Keisha-"

"I said get out! Now!" Nihane suddenly screamed. "If you don't...I...urgh!" His body suddenly went completely limp, as if he was a rag doll. A puppet, who's master had let go of the strings and lost interest in the performance. His face had lost all expression entirely, and his pale skin had turned almost completely white. His eyes then turned orange, with red blood-like spots swirling around them. They were tiny, but blue dots were on his eyes as well. The sclera of his eyes gradually became darker, almost as black as the night.

"...He's...coming...!"

"What the fuck is this?" Blaine said.

"I dunno, but I sure as hell aren't gonna let him get away with this!" Other Blaine said. Just as he took out his weapon, however, their bodies started to shine with a bright light. "The hell?"

"We must aid your escape. The sheer amount of Shadows coming will destroy you, no matter how prepared you all are."

The 'good' Nina and Archibald had arrived, but they were facing Nihane, his eyes still abnormal. What was going on within Nihane? If he was having a guilty conscience after all this time, he surely wouldn't be exhibiting all these symptoms.

"Wait a minute! I heard about this…you two aren't the Ater Vox I knew. You're from the same dimension as the other guys! Why the hell are you doing this?!" Other Blaine demanded. "Do you know what Nihane's done?! I thought my best friend and his brother were dead, and my home got sacrificed for some fucked up ritual! You gotta let me finish him off!"

"No!" Nina snapped. "Nihane - no, Ethan was my friend! If we hadn't forced him to continue researching the Shadows, we could have avoided all of this! You don't understand, this is not the way he used to be!"

"We'll get everyone outside the headquarters for now. In the meantime, stay away from this place. You have no idea what sort of danger lurks in the future..." Archibald said. "We will communicate with you soon. It will be quite some time until you arrive here again. That, I am very sure of."

And with a quick flash, everyone was gone. Nihane's eyes shut, and his skin turned normal. Archibald stared at him, and sighed.

"Ethan, this is my fault. All I wanted was for you to work as a team with us. Even you couldn't resisst the power of the Shadows. This crisis is my doing..."

"Don't say that, Archie. We just have to do what we were told." Nina said.

"It must be hard for you, doing this. Serena expects you to return home if we succeed in saving this city." Archibald said. "…But we know that's never going to be possible, is it?"

"...I don't need to be reminded of that." Nina said. "Looks like your Golden Ages are well and truly over."

"I've realised that for a while now." Archibald said. "The rest of my life was utterly meaningless, apart from those precious times. Yet, looking at him now-"

"He's about to wake up. We have to go - now." Nina said.

"Fine. There is still much we need to do, anyway." Archibald said. The two of them vanished before Nihane's eyes opened. Now, they had returned to their bright orange hue.

"...Ugh...what happened to me? Did I defeat them yet?"

_Secret Base_

"Seraphina, where did you get to?" Amara asked. "And is your name really Sophie?"

"Yes, it is. I cannot say anything other than that. But the truth is, I have personal ties to two Aeternus employees." Seraphina said, shakily. "Please don't misunderstand. I'm not a double agent in any shape or form. Rather, they chose to work there for safety and financial security."

"I trust you, Seraphina." Aimee said.

"Me too! Sophie, Seraphina, you're cool either way!" Other Amara said. "So keep your hair on!" Seraphina glowered, and Other Amara sheepishly laughed. "Joke!"

"Wait, so are those two ladies your parents?" Kyle asked.

"Holy crap!" Keisha said. "That means her mother is a -"

"Yes, Lady Keisha. My mother is married to another woman." Seraphina said. "If you wish to mock that, do so when you aren't in my presence."

"Nothing wrong with that. If your mother and your…other mother are in love, that's a beautiful thing. One day, though, it'll all end." Kaman said, looking at his wedding ring.

"Kaman, um...we need a place for you and Keisha to stay. We have a second secret base, and there's still a few rooms left." Aimee said. "The Mole is gone now, though, so there's no going back there."

"You don't have to remind me of that." Kaman said. "I got everything I need with me. Now that I got Chandra, I better pull my weight. I can just crash on the couch here to save space."

"Eew!" Keisha said. "Screw that. I need a really good bed, nice and comfy. I better get double pillows. Oh, and breakfast in bed would be nice too!"

"Get real!" Other Serena said. "We're not a hotel!"

Dan stood up, and ran straight into his room. Other Blaine stood up to go after him, but Matthew pulled him down, shaking his head.

"You know better than to bother him when he's depressed." Matthew said. "Our plan to help Lucy and Shirley didn't work, I know. At this rate, we really might have to fight them, and-"

"Don't you ever fucking say that again." Other Blaine said, slamming his fist on the table. "How am I gonna sleep at night, knowing that she's over there, with the guys who made my life a living hell? What if they do the same to her they did to me? I'm not gonna be able to rest until she's out of there, but we can't get her yet! What the hell are we going to do?"

"We'll think of something." Other Amara said. "Breaking into enemy territory wasn't the best of plans, we know that now. But they'll come after us sooner or later, so when that happens, we'll just have to knock them out and get them back!"

"I wish I hadn't missed my chance to fight Carlos…" Tara said, glancing at the coffee Matthew had brought her. "He'll be dead soon enough, though. I guarantee it!"

"That's a little extreme, isn't it? Then again, he did cause you a lot of personal distress." Bianca said.

"Yeah. But next time, you'll get to cause that distress!" Richard said. "So keep your chin up. Go drink that coffee, it'll do you some good. Matthew makes good coffee!"

"Well, I used to know a barista at the village. She taught me the ins and outs of what makes a really good cup." Matthew said, smiling. "And she also taught me-"

"Matthew, if you're about to say what I think you are, don't. I don't need to imagine weird stuff today." Roger said.

"Chill out, man. She taught me how to knit, too." Matthew said. "Tara knows who I mean, right? She was that blonde girl from my school!"

"Uh...yes. But now you're interested in the barmaid Linda, aren't you?" Tara said, sniggering. _It figures the Kingsley clan would flirt with pretty girls serving them beer._ "Every time you're ordering a drink, you keep looking down at her-"

"Ahem! Listen, everyone. We're too confused to decide what to do right now. Everyone from the other world should go now, and try to relax. Kyle and Seraphina will be able to use their hacking skills and psychic powers to keep a careful watch on the situation." Priscilla said. "So…good night."

"Alright, then we'll see you later. Take care, everyone." Amara said.

"Don't beat yourself up, Blaine - the other one." Nathan said. "Aeternus will get what's coming to them soon enough. My father always said to be that those who lie and cheat will be crushed by the weight of their deceit."

"Sounds kinda weird, but...thanks for trying to cheer me up." Other Blaine said, with a weak smile. "You go home and get some sleep."

The team left, returning to their world of peace.

_Farawell_

"So, we survived a confrontation with Nihane Kronos." Nathan said, looking at the others. "We're lucky to be alive. I hope you realise we still have to keep improving, however. The Eternal Road may not be moving, but we still have to fight on."

"Alright, we get it. No givin' up! Fine with me!" Blaine said. "And I'm gonna get Lucy back, no matter what you guys say!"

"Why would we stop you from doing that?" Serena asked, confused. "Is it because she and Keisha have the same Arcana?"

"Hmm. Keisha…we hardly know anything about her. I mean, today we got a huge spiel about what kind of girl Lucy is, but next to nothing about Keisha." Amara said. "Two Devils and two Deaths..."

"I need to go home. Goodbye, everyone." Nathan said, leaving the area. Serena quickly followed him, bugging him about some business class she was taking at her school. Zao ran off, after kissing Amara at least sixteen times. Amara chuckled, and started to leave.

"Hold on, missy. I've got something' I wanna say to you."

"...What?" Amara asked, nervously. "This is about Lucy, isn't it?"

"Of course it is. You say you don't like Lucy, but when you found out she was with the Ater Vox, you were pretty sad, weren't you?" Blaine asked.

"Well, I..." Amara said, looking down. "I suppose I was. Both of us do our best for that magazine, no matter what happens. So we're sort of working towards the same goal. Now that she's against us, it feels wrong."

Blaine nodded, and looked up at the sky. "Yeah. I know you think she's a bossy know-it-all. Hell, I kinda see it too. Even so, I-"

"I get it. You're really fond of her." Amara said, smiling. "You really are sweet, behind that macho 'I'm gonna fuck you guys up' attitude. Lucy's pretty lucky to have someone like you. We'll get her away from Aeternus soon. This is just another obstacle we have to overcome!"

"Yeah. Although it's either her or Keisha, isn't it? We can't have two Devil users..." Blaine said, looking back at Amara. "Of course I want it to be Lucy. But that means someone has to die, right?"

"I...well...Blaine, please don't worry. It might not go that way. Stella may be wrong!" Amara said. "We don't have to make her predictions come true. There might still be a way to save them both!"

"Hehe. You don't let shit get to you, do ya?" Blaine said. "I guess I just have to hope for the best. Well, see ya."

"Good night." Amara said, leaving for her apartment. Upon checking her phone, she had a few text messages. The first was from Colette, saying she was super nervous about the interview, which was being held tomorrow. Amara quickly replied with "It'll be okay", and moved on to the next. It was from...Karl. _Huh? What does he want? _Curious, she opened the message.

**Couldn't get through to Zao, figured you were with him. Tell him we're going for that run tomorrow at night, gotta train for the cup. Also, hope you're doing well. **

Amara sighed, and replied, telling Karl that Zao's phone was out of battery and she had told him. Karl wouldn't know anything about the other world, provided Zao was as secretive about it as she was. When she remembered how paranoid he was over her safety, she realised just how important keeping this world from Karl was. If he burst through the NDD, he could end up exactly like his other self did a decade earlier. For Aimee's sake, she couldn't let that happen.

Ignoring the rest of the messages for now, she went to bed. A lot had happened tonight, and there was still no end in sight. Somehow, however, she'd get through it. Just like she did every other night.


	56. Chapter 56: Oracle of Wisdom

**AN: **And so we move on to another story arc. It's just hit me that it's been nearly a year since I first began this story anew! Thanks to all my readers and reviewers, and sorry to keep you waiting for another chapter! This one isn't quite as immense as the previous ones, but that probably will change as we move ahead. Also, if you've been reading other fanfics, you might recognise a certain city name...

* * *

_People live by wearing different masks. Thus, the person you know and the person they actually are may be entirely different people. The power of one's soul is therefore limitless, due to the many sides they harbour. Yet, beyond it all, there is a true aspect of a person's power. The 'Persona', the inner self set free. _

_Whether they command raging flames or soothing remedies, they give those with strong hearts powers they could only dream of. Yet, there are ways to fabricate that power, and those who do so risk corrupting their entire existence. Now, a vast number of genuine souls have achieved the determination to wield the power of Persona I have given them. Yet, that is the only thing I can do._

_Some may detest my inability to fight. However..._

_I am thou. Thou art I._

_I am always with them, and as they fight, so do I. And they will not lose._

**Chapter 56: Oracle of Wisdom**

_Aeternus Meeting Room, August 22__nd_

The events of last night had been rather spectacular, to say the least. Carlos was assaulted by not only the ex-Commander Blaine Spencer and his fellow rebel comrades, but Tomas Weiken - a leading scientist working for Aeternus - had aided this attack. The confusion quickly spread throughout the base, and with Nihane still out of commission, it was up to Archibald to organise the meeting today. Perhaps the Ater Vox could reach an agreement on how to proceed.

Archibald was naturally the first to arrive. He enjoyed the time between his arrival and the next member's, as it gave him a good opportunity to think to himself or touch up on project reports. Today, he was planning to dig through his old belongings after the meeting. He had stashed them away after the headquarters were constructed, but with the amount of work he was undertaking, he hadn't had a chance to look at them in years. Soon, he heard footsteps.

"Well, this is unusual." Archibald said, looking at the door. "It's not like you to be so punctual."

"Even so, you're still the first one here. You enjoying your precious thinking time?" Pierre said, standing in the doorway.

"Exactly. Perhaps some more thinking might make your tricks and illusions more effective against your enemies." Archibald said. "Sit down, Pierre. I think you will agree that after yesterday's events, we need to take counter measures. Especially regarding Tomas Weiken."

"Hey, that old guy's in your department. He's your problem." Pierre said, apathetically.

"Not entirely. He did try to overpower Carlos in a fight, after all. If he had succeeded, Lucille Victoria Crossman might have been 'rescued' by her darling Blaine. Now if we had lost here, where would we be? We haven't the slightest clue where the next Divine Spark will be, and by manipulating her friendship with Shirley, we stand a better chance of finding that out. Thus, it's _our_ problem." Archibald said.

"I hate it when you're right. Damn, you're too smart for your own good…no wonder Josephine hates you so much." Pierre said, grumbling.

Moments later, the others were present, sat in their preferred seats. Josephine looked agitated, whilst Nina seemed withdrawn - no doubt because Nihane was out of action. Carlos, however, was furious.

"Alright, Archibald! What is going on?!" he demanded. "Something odd's been going on ever since the Nova Albion Divine Spark. Just before it happened, you and Nina showed up!"

"What the - we were never there, Carlos!" Nina protested. "You were the one in charge of making sure that went ahead."

"Bullshit!" Carlos shouted, loud enough for Pierre to cover his ears. "You two were there, but you were different. You were on about how Nihane was called...uh..."

"Called what?" Archibald said. "Are you referring to his name before he took his deserved title?"

"I don't care about that title stuff he prattles on about." Carlos said. "You know what I mean! His birth name! I don't even remember it...but then you mentioned something about my misdeeds. It was like you were upset with me, for some reason. Then you teleported everyone away, just before it happened! I was lucky I wasn't swept away."

"_We_ teleported them away?" Archibald said. "That's ridiculous. We don't have access to Traesto."

"Exactly. Plus, why would we be trying to slow down the Ater Vox?" Nina said. "Plus, I'd never pass up a chance to sacrifice my own sister."

"How come you hate that girl so much, anyway?" Pierre asked. "Some big sister you turned out to be..."

"Oh, give it a rest. She was never wanted. An unwelcome surprise, and an ungrateful brat." Nina said. "With the Divine Spark, I'll get the chance to rid my family of the undesirables."

"We're getting away from the subject, you fools!" Carlos said. "Archibald! Don't you remember what happened with the Takanawa Divine Spark? Someone teleported Ornatu Legion soldiers to another location! That had to have been your doing, as well!"

"That's absolute tripe. I was present then, and I never had an occasion or a desire to protect those weaklings." Archibald said. "Carlos, I'm just as confused as you are. But you have to trust me on this. I'm not a double agent, like Mr Spencer. Nina here, as hateful as she might be, is no traitor either."

"Oy!" Nina said. "You don't understand at all! She was a curse upon the family the minute she was born. My parents wanted a chance to rest. I was seventeen! I had long since grown out my childish dream of being a big sister…all she did was ruin everything!"

"Alright, Nina, I get it. Let's do as Carlos says and stay on topic. We need to make a decision about Tomas Weiken. We've already established that he's got a fake Persona without authorisation." Pierre said. "The Persona doesn't fit any description in our company database."

"Actually, Pierre, that's not correct." Josephine said, proudly. "I had the foresight to carry out some investigative work myself, and I've found traces of a project codenamed 'Puppetry of Hell'. All that remained were screenshots of the Persona Tomas used, as well as the one his mystery friend has."

"My...well done, Josephine." Archibald said. "I trust you'll show us these screenshots on our monitors?"

"I've put them on right now. As you can see, it's name is Nebiros, and the other is Belial. There's two more pictures, though." Josephine said. As she pushed a key on her console, everyone gasped.

"Now this is uncanny." Archibald said. "I had no clue my subordinate was quite so...sadistic."

"I can't believe he'd be capable of doing that to those men." Pierre said. "Even we didn't go that far with developing Personas."

"Indeed. We might have sacrificed many Persona users, but this is something else." Carlos said. "Fine, Archibald. I'll accept that he's acting outside of your orders. But how are we going to stop him?"

"Hehehe..." Archibald started to laugh. "We're the ones in control here, still. If he has a fake Persona, then regardless of the horrific way he developed it, we can communicate with it. We can make sure of this situation, and reap some good benefits."

"I see. So you're planning to trick him someway." Nina said. "Trust Archibald to toy with his prey before going in for the kill. What about his friend? Who is he, anyway?"

"You couldn't tell? I'd say it's none other than Rudo Furaha." Josephine said. "So, Archibald, it would appear that your friend Tomas really has been busy over the years, keeping that hidden! You better be sure we can stop him."

"Oh, please. Sooner or later, he'll stop himself. Let's just say we're going to speed things along." Archibald said, grinning evilly.

_Real People Offices, August 27__th__ , 10:42 am_

Ever since Kaman and Keisha joined their group, the other world had been rather quiet. Blaine and Dan were still anxious, but they did their best to keep calm. Kaman seemed to be adjusting to the circumstances, although he spent a lot of time by himself - and Aimee pointed out his eyes looked wet when he emerged again. Keisha, on the other hand, was a rather more energetic character - except she didn't seem to be winning many fans. Her cheeriness felt so put on, somehow. Perhaps she was just excited to have fellow Persona users to fight with. What bothered Amara was the lack of detail she gave about her past. Where did she come from? And what led to her awakening to the power of Lorelei?

"What's wrong, Amara?" Sheila asked. "You and Zao having problems?"

"Oh, not really." Amara said. "I've just been worried about...uh...my art."

"Really? You're worried about that, of all things?" Lucy asked, laughing. "Your art is fine, really. I mean, it's not Da Vinci, but it's better than anything I could do. Come on, what are you _really _worried about?"

"Um...I can't really talk about it. It's kinda hard to describe." Amara said, nervously.

"Oh, I get it!" Sheila said. "Just feed Zao some oysters, and he'll be back in action faster than Colette buys a new dress." _Uh...oysters?_

"I heard that!" Colette said. "Oh, look at the time. It's time for the interview."

"Now Colette, do you remember everything I told you?" Lucy said. "Stay calm, but don't get too serious. Try and have fun. There's a perfect balance between professionalism and being laid back, and I'm hopeful you can find it."

"Thanks. It's just, I can't believe it's here so fast!" Colette said. "But I won't screw up! I'll do what I can for this magazine! Wish me luck, everyone!"

"See you, babe!" Juan said. He waved the whole time as she left for the elevator, noticeably trying to keep it together.

"That's my girl." Karen said, smiling. "The rest of you should keep working too! After all, we've got an important trip coming up soon. We're going to write a series on **Glasswater**."

"Huh? Where's that?" Juan asked. "I've never even heard of that place."

"Oh, it's a small kind of place in the US. While it's not quite as big as New Motus City, it's got a lot of beauty in it. If we're good, we can make it stand out as a hidden gem!" Lucy said.

"But wouldn't that make it less hidden?" Sheila asked. "Or is that the point?"

"Exactly. We should encourage our readers to travel, or at least read up on cultures other than our own." Lucy said.

"...This trip was your idea, wasn't it?" Amara asked, grinning.

"Indeed it was." Karen said. "Lucy is very persuasive when it comes to professionalism and integrity."

"No kidding. She criticised me for using 'piss off' as a casual way of saying bye to a bad date." Sheila said. "I mean, if the date went badly, why not tell him that?"

"There are politer ways of doing that." Lucy said, sighing. "Whatever. All of us are going to be in Glasswater for a few days, so I hope you're all looking forward to it!"

"Oh, I guarantee it will be a splendid time." Stella said, lightly tapping her forehead with her finger. "You can trust me on that."

Lucy wandered off to check her email, whilst Amara continued drawing. As she was drawing artwork for Sheila's column, she noticed Stella angrily gazing at her computer screen.

"Let me guess, you can't beat the high score at Bejewelled?" Amara teased.

"I..." Stella said. "No, this isn't a joke." She turned back to her monitor, and scrutinized it further. "Dammit! Why the hell is _she_ messaging me?!"

"She who?" Amara asked. "Doesn't sound like a friend."

"Please. When I was growing up, I wasn't exactly the homecoming queen." Stella said. "Sorry. I got a message for a girl I just happen to have known in my youth. This vicious girl was something of a bully. She liked to throw her own weight around. And there was another girl she loved to target - a sad one who had an embarrassing secret."

"What was that?" Amara asked. "Did she have a fake ID?"

"...No." Stella said, serious. "The girl was completely bald. She tried to cover it up with wigs, but everyone could tell they weren't real. She must have gone through at least twenty different wigs since she got alopecia."

"I see..." Amara said. "That must have been hard. And kids can be so cruel..."

"That's very true. Kanaloa's educational facilities aren't known for fostering tolerance and understanding. It's a wonder how I managed to survive. Oh…and the bald girl, of course." Stella said, running a hand throughout her hair.

"Yeah, I see where you're coming from. Not everyone in Kanaloa's as nice as Blaine or Dan." Amara said. "So what about the bully? What did she do?"

"Well, she decided she'd teach the bald girl a lesson. You see, the bald girl told the bully's boyfriend that she had been sleeping with his best friend behind his back. So the bully dragged her to the roof, and dangled her over the edge, ripping off her wig. I…saw it." Stella said, sadly. "It was so humiliating. For her, I mean. But the worst part is…"

"What?" Amara asked. "...Don't tell me the bald girl fell?!"

"That's right. The bully lost her grip, and her victim was gravely injured. She barely survived, but it took months of treatment and therapy to be able to walk again." Stella said. "Her plan was to become an accomplished gymnast, but even today, she can no longer perform any of the flashy moves she was once a master at."

"How do you know?" Amara asked. "Do you know that bald girl?"

"Not exactly. You're forgetting how powerful my psychic abilities are." Stella said. "In fact, I know that Lucy is planning another date with Blaine this Saturday after he finishes work, and she's planning a special treat afterwards -"

"Hey!" Lucy shouted. "Don't use your psychic powers for that! Can't you find out whether Blaine and my cousin Edmond will get along? He'll be here soon, and I really want them to get on!"

"My apologies, Lucy." Stella said. "Let me see. I sense immense tension…a judgmental viewpoint, clashing with a reckless, carefree attitude. You may wish to tread with caution here."

"Oh..." Lucy said. "Edmond _is_ judgmental. That's why I'm so worried. Dammit. Amara, what do you think?"

"Relax." Amara said. "Just tell Edmond what kind of guy Blaine is. That'll give him time to prepare before he arrives. Besides, Blaine's a great guy. He'll be fine!"

"If you say so..." Lucy said. "I'll try phoning him tonight. Thanks."

Amara could hear Karen giggling during a phone conversation. Either the client on the other line had a great sense of humour, or Roger was taking time out of his work to call his beloved. Amara smiled, and decided to send a few messages to Zao.

"He'll send you pictures of his grandfather's latest catch." Stella said. A few minutes after she sent her message, she got a reply with an attachment.

"Stella, you're right once again." Amara said, admiring the largest trout she had ever seen.

_Lucille Valley High School, 2:30pm_

"Here we are again..." Serena said, as she and Kyle went inside the History classroom. "God, I'm so bored of this class already."

"Oh, good afternoon Serena." said Adam Richmond. A red-haired and somewhat stuck-up boy, he was one of the highest performing students in his year. History was his best subject, and he prided himself on remembering all of history's moments, bad and good. "So, today we're getting marks for last week's report. I hope you manage something higher than the 50% range. After all, it'd be nice to have some real competition."

"Whatever." Serena said. She shrugged, and looked outside the window. Amara and the others must be having a lot of fun today, she thought. While she was stuck in here in her worst class. In previous years, she dreamed of overcoming Adam, but she quickly gave up that goal. Besides, why waste time improving her marks in this class when she had more important tasks to attend to?

"Morning, everyone."

An unfamiliar woman entered the room, and went over to the teacher's desk. Serena raised her eyebrows. She clearly wasn't Mr Henry, the usual teacher.

"Hey! You hear anything about Mr Henry resigning?" Kyle whispered, looking at Adam.

"Be quiet! And no, I did not!" Adam said.

"Alright, I can tell there's some confusion." the woman said, smiling. "The truth is, Mr Henry has been undergoing health issues for quite a few months now. As for now, he has been hospitalised, and I have been assigned to take his place for the foreseeable future. Which means that as for today, I am your History teacher. My name is Mrs Maria Barrs."

"Whoa!" Serena said. "I never thought that old guy was sick..."

"Are you serious? He was coughing a lot, and I heard something about him collapsing outside in the parking lot!" Kyle said. "I didn't think his health was that bad-"

"Pipe down!" Mrs Barrs said, glaring at Kyle. Adam laughed, and Serena glared at him. "Now, I'm sure you're all shaken up by this, but your education is what you should be focused on. It just so happens that he was able to grade your reports before he had to be checked in, and there's one student he really wanted me to work with."

Adam smiled, but Serena noticed Mrs Barrs staring at her. "Kyle, I think she's talking about me…"

"Why? You're not that bad at this class, are you? No one else is really at Adam's level, so don't worry about it." Kyle said.

Mrs Barrs handed out the reports, and Kyle smiled when he saw his mark - 76%. Adam got 94%, and Serena shivered when Mrs gave back her report.

"Whoa!" Kyle said. "You _are_ bad."

"Shut up..." Serena said. "40%. I was in a rush!"

"I don't think this lady's going to be a pushover. You'd better watch out." Kyle said, nervous. "Oh well. I've got to train with Lucas after school, anyway. Such a waste of time..."

"Hey, don't say that. It'll be good for you to get some exercise!" Serena said. "Look how skinny you are. You could use some toning up."

"Perhaps you're right." Kyle said. The class continued as they went over questions in a textbook, most of them about post-war reforms. Serena, however, couldn't help but think about the history she learned about from Eugene Dwight's story. Saragel or Legarte, either one of them would be the next Divine Spark location. She hoped that Tomas was working hard on his plan to erase the Shadows, because if he wasn't, they would be forced to watch the Ater Vox win again.

The bell rang, heralding the end of the school day. As Serena was about to leave, someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"Wait just a second, missy." Mrs Barrs said. "I need a moment of your time."

"Oh. Okay..." Serena said, gulping. Kyle gave her a reassuring smile, but Adam just laughed. Everyone else left, and Serena stood there, hesitantly.

"Now then, Serena." Mrs Barrs. "Your previous teacher may have let you slide by with average scores, but that's not what I do. It's my mission to get everyone up to scratch. And I don't think a 40% grade on this report is going to cut it, do you?"

"I...well..." Serena said, looking away.

"Listen to me. You're probably just bored of this class, like a lot of other students." Mrs Barrs said. "My husband was never any good at this either. The only history he was interested in involved alcohol over the ages. I'm just glad he's selling the beer, rather than drinking it."

"...Miss, why are we discussing your husband?" Serena said.

"Don't look so scared. Take a seat." Mrs Barrs said. "I just like to ease the tension, to help students like you settle down."

Serena sat down, and smiled a little. "Well…I'm just not very keen on History. I'm not like Adam - I can't come anywhere near to his level. I just don't have the same passion he does."

"Oh?" Mrs Barrs said. "I'm not sure about that. When it comes to creative writing, you're rather able to research historical events and figures. It seems to me like you just need more focus on actually excelling at explaining the history, rather than just pointing out the details. That's where I come in. So how about every week, we have a revision session?"

"Really?" Serena asked. "But I can't ask you to give up your spare time for that!"

"I'm offering you the time, silly!" Mrs Barrs said. "Besides, my husband's working all evening. Since he owns a bar, he has to run it every night like clockwork. It's better than sitting at home waiting for him."

"Alright then..." Serena said. "When do you want to do these revision sessions?"

"Perhaps Wednesdays, after school." Mrs Barrs said. Serena nodded, and glanced at her new teacher's desk. A picture of a man was there, and he looked happy. That must have been her husband.

Suddenly, she realised who that man was. Kaman Barrs, one of her new allies in the other world. Then this was the wife he had lost was Maria Barrs - her new teacher.

"Is something wrong?" Mrs Barrs asked. "Ah, that picture. Handsome, isn't he?"

"Um...sort of." Serena said. "I thought I recognised him, but I guess not."

"I'd hope not. If I find out you've been at the Motus Lounge, there will be hell to pay!" Mrs Barrs said, laughing. "Alright, that's all I wanted to say. We might not get you up to Adam's level, but we'll get as close as we can. Have a good night - studying, I hope."

"Oh. Yeah." Serena said. "Thanks, miss!"

Serena left the classroom, and looked out the window in the hallway. Somehow, she felt like she was going to enjoy History classes. Now if only her meetings with the school staff were as exciting.

_Nathan's House, 6:24pm_

"Honey, your father's on the phone." Priscilla said. "Please, talk to him."

"Alright." Nathan said. He got up from his chair, leaving the puzzles for another time, and went to the phone. "Hello, father."

"Good evening, Nathan. You know what day's coming up, correct?" Reginald said. "Twenty nine years ago, you were born. That was the day my life felt complete."

"Not complete enough, though. Right?" Nathan said, bitterly. "Or was Josephine an extracurricular activity to you?"

"Stop it!" Reginald barked. "I am _not_ going to be lectured by my own son! I'm sorry, alright? I'm sorry I never told you about any of this. You shouldn't have had to find out that way. But you are still my only son! And if you think you're cutting me out of your twenty ninth birthday celebrations, you're mistaken. So are you going to let me come over this Thursday?"

"...I will." Nathan said. "Dad, I...I'm glad you called."

"Now that's more like it." Reginald said. "I can't leave my company in your hands if you're going to act like a child. When you started working for me, do you know what I felt? It was more than upholding family tradition. I was proud. My flesh and blood, refusing to rely on family connections, working day and night for the business."

"I'm happy to hear you say that. I'm sorry. I just hate the idea of you betraying mother..." Nathan said.

"You and me both, son." Reginald said. "Remember how angry she was when I bought that limousine without telling her? I swear she would have broken my arms if you hadn't been there!"

Nathan laughed, remembering his mother's angry ranting. Despite their wealth, his mother never did like to spend too much. His father, on the other hand, liked to make the most of his success.

"Alright, Dad. I'll see you tomorrow, and as for the birthday...it'll be one to remember." Nathan said.

"Oh? I'm looking forward to that, then." Reginald said. "Have a good evening, son."

"So what was he wanting?" Priscilla asked, walking into the hallway.

"He just wanted to know what was going on with my birthday." Nathan said. "I can't believe it…next year, I'll be thirty. I just hope my hair still looks this good."

"Relax, I'd love you even if you were as bald as those hairless cats." Priscilla said, smiling. "It's good that you're speaking to your father, though. He's been so depressed lately."

"Hey, who are we inviting?" Nathan said. "There's my dad, your parents, Tara, Adrian..."

"Would you mind if I invited Joe Kowalski?" Priscilla asked. "He could use some cheering up. His father's condition does sound very serious."

"It is." Nathan said. "Alright, he can come. Who else?"

"Why not some of those friends of yours who came to the barbecue?" Priscilla said. "I mean, Blaine might not get on well with most of our friends, but I'm sure he'd behave himself."

"He will. As long as he doesn't go overboard." Nathan said. "That man could drink me under the table any day! Sure, I'll ask him. Maybe Serena and Amara, too. Now then, are you planning a surprise present?"

"Maybe I am, and maybe I'm not!" Priscilla said, with a coy smile. "It's not a surprise if I tell you, is it?"

"Of course not." Nathan said. "There's a great film on tonight. You take a seat, and I'll bring out the cheeses."

"Cheese and wine on a Monday night?" Priscilla said. "We are a classy bunch."

"Indeed." Nathan said, as he left for the kitchen. The classiness was subdued somewhat by his painful yelp, as he stubbed his toe into the breakfast table.

_Motus Lounge, 9:20pm_

"Mondays, the graveyard shift." Kaman said, laughing. "Well, there's a few people around, but I think we can sit back and relax for now. So how was your weekend, buddy?"

"Pretty good. Me and Lucy went out to see a movie, some crap about bridesmaids. I was so bored, but I tried to act like I enjoyed it. Turns out she hated it too, so we had a good laugh making fun of it!" Blaine said. "Then we went for a walk along the beach, admiring all the sandcastles. Some amazing stuff...but never mind that, what about you?" Blaine asked.

"Well, me and the wife were out celebrating her new job!" Kaman said. "Today, she's the new History teacher at Lucille Valley High School. She's been waiting a long time for a permanent position, so we celebrated in style. I took her to some fancy French place in Nova Albion, the place I took her for our first date."

"Nova Albion, huh?" Blaine said. "Man, I used to resent everyone who lived there. So upper class, with their huge theatres and palatial houses. But...life outside the glitz and glamour ain't so bad."

"That's the spirit!" Kaman said. "Oh, here comes an office crowd. Some good looking women in there. Go get'em, tiger!"

Blaine laughed, pretending to do a growl. Kaman's howls of laughter might just have implied Blaine was not cut out to be an animal impersonator. Regardless, Blaine attended to the big crowd, exchanging a few winks with the women.

"Hey, not bad." Kaman said. "Be careful, though. I think that redhead's got a thing for you already."

"Who wouldn't?" Blaine said, with a sly smile. "Just don't tell Lucy. She'd kill me if she saw me chatting to those girls."

"The jealous type, is she?" Kaman asked. "Of course, she would be if you greet all our customers with 'baby'..."

"Habit of a lifetime, man. I was quite a heart-breaker in my younger days." Blaine said. "Of course, the girls did their fair share of heart breaking themselves."

"Oh?" Kaman said. "Well, from what I've seen, you and Lucy are made for each other. Just don't screw that up. Take it from a happily married man. I'll give you all the tips you need!"

"Oh yeah?" Blaine said. "Okay...when you met her family for the first time, how did that go?"

"Oh my god. That was a complete nightmare. They wanted their precious Maria to marry an intellectual. They're kind of stuck-up, even today." Kaman said. "Still, they've gotten used to us being together. So my advice is, even if her family don't like you at first, don't let that get in the way. If you really like Lucy, you won't let any disapproving uncles or aunts come between you."

"Alrighty." Blaine said. "I'll keep that in mind. Anyway, I gotta take care of this guy." He walked over to the next customer, and smiled. "Evening, partner. What can I get ya?"

_Later That Evening_

"Phew, look at the time." Blaine said. "My shift finished half an hour ago!"

"Really?" Kaman said. "In that case, I'll have to pay you a little bit extra. Can't have you working for nothing, can I? You go and get some sleep! It'll be closing time soon anyway."

"Alright then. I guess I'll see you guys later! Take care!" Blaine said. The other bartenders waved, and Blaine left, yawning. It wasn't like him to exit a bar without being even a little bit tipsy. Dan was probably waiting for him, wondering what was keeping Blaine. However, Blaine was still thinking about the other Kaman. The widower, who had lost everything he ever loved. Having seen what Kaman was like in this world, he realised just how much Maria meant to him. And Blaine started to think about how important Lucy was to him.

Blaine decided to send a message to Dan. Hopefully, he was in bed and he could get away with coming home late...

_Dan's House 11:57pm_

"Shit...I should have been in bed hours ago. Sheesh."

Dan looked at the TV screen, and realised he had been watching a documentary about old steam engines. Trains…they just go the same route, until they're no good anymore. That was his life. Drive buses, the same old routes, come home, have a few drinks, and go to bed, only to start over the next day. In the old days, that routine seemed fun. He had Matthew to attend to then, and that was quite a handful. After work, he gladly spent the evenings helping out with homework, or watching Matthew's favourite cop shows.

Blaine made those days fun, too. The two of them would talk about their days at work, and laugh at Blaine's attempts to get girls passing by the construction site to whistle at him, or Dan's playful winking at the female passengers. Of course, they'd discuss more serious issues, such as paying bills, Matthew's education, and what their own futures would be like. Dan remembered telling Blaine one evening what he'd really like - to have his own family some day. Blaine was confused, until Dan explained that looking after Matthew really made him feel like he'd be great with his own kids. All that he'd need to do was find a pretty woman - but Dan felt pretty confident he could turn on the charm. After all, their nights out had given him much practice.

Looking back, Dan shook his head. There was no chance of his future being so bright and cheerful. The one thing that he focused on - Matthew - wasn't there. So what difference did it make if he met some nice lady? Matthew wouldn't be there to meet her, and tell Dan how lucky he was. He wouldn't be there to congratulate them for getting engaged. He wouldn't bet there at the wedding, cracking jokes during the speech. He wouldn't be there to babysit whilst Dan and his wife went out for a meal.

Dan wiped his eyes, and gasped. Tears had been rolling from his eyes the moment he started dwelling on Matthew. He hated nights like these, when Blaine was at work and he didn't feel like going out for a beer. He could have hung out with some of the other bikers, but they weren't anywhere near as close to Dan as Blaine was. Indeed, Blaine was the only person who made his life feel worthwhile. He was happy, with a job he excelled at and a gorgeous girlfriend. But Dan was left behind, still daydreaming about his little brother.

"Huh?"

That moment, his mobile rang. Confused, Dan reached for it, and saw that it was an unknown number. Shrugging, he took the call.

"Yeah, who the hell is this?" Dan answered.

"Well that's not the friendliest of greetings, is it?" a young boy's voice said.

"Whoa. Is that Kyle?" Dan said. "Geez. Sorry, little guy. I'm just a bit grumpy. Home alone, and a lot of beer to drink by myself. And there's some boring ass documentary about trains on. Hey, how come you've got my number? I never gave you mine, did I?"

"No, Serena did. She got Blaine to give her the number. The thing is..." Kyle said. "Well, I feel like a right idiot now. It's really late, and I should be in bed, but I just wondered if you wanted to talk sometime-"

"Don't worry, buddy! It's cool. Better than listening to some old guy discuss train tracks. Alright, so what's on your mind? Fighting off the girls at that school?" Dan asked.

"Um…no. That's never been a problem. Should it be?" Kyle said, nervously. "I mean, Serena's the only girl I hang out with -"

"Ah, I get you. Love's young dream, right?" Dan said. "C'mon, I can see it miles away. She looks like a nice girl, too."

"Whoa - stop it!" Kyle said. "Stop making fun of me!"

"I'm not, I'm just teasing you! But seriously, you two would probably make a great couple." Dan said, smiling. "Okay, so what else is going on?"

"Well...Lucas, the school champion athlete and head boy, wants me to take part in this wheelchair race." Kyle said. "He's trying to teach me that I can be fit even thought I'm stuck in this thing."

"Ah. Let me guess, he's put you on a diet, and set up an exercise regime?" Dan asked.

"How'd you know?" Kyle said, sounding surprised. "That's exactly what he's done. Guy won't let up...I wish he hadn't signed me up."

"Don't sound so negative! It might be good for ya. After all, you're kind of a stick insect. Maybe you could end up with a body like mine!"

"I dunno about that. I'd need a really big wheelchair." Kyle said. "Lucas is really tough on me. He's determined for me to do my best, but he doesn't think I'm trying."

"Maybe that's the problem." Dan said. "Listen, kid. I bet you most of the other people in the contest thought like you before. That being disabled meant they couldn't do anything. But there's still tons of things you can do, and this is one of them. So man up a little! Get out there, and race!" Dan said

"You make it sound so easy!" Kyle said. Dan could tell he was feeling better already, despite his words.

"It is! Tell you what. I'll come cheer you on when the day comes. You better not give up halfway through!" Dan said, smiling. "Anyway, you'd better get to bed. Wouldn't want you falling asleep during those lectures now…"

"Alright. Sorry to bother you -"

"Who said you were bothering me? Lighten up, boy. I'm just happy I had someone to talk to. When I'm sat here on my own, it's so fucking boring. So thanks for that. I'll see you around, then."

"Okay. Bye!" Kyle said, hanging up.

Dan turned off the TV, and suddenly, everything felt okay again. Talking to Kyle cheered him up quite a bit, even if it was only for a little while. Dan chuckled to himself, and went upstairs. It was things like this that kept him going. Without them, all that would be left were painful memories of Matthew. And a life mourning him was a miserable one indeed.


	57. Chapter 57: Loss of Blue

**Chapter 57: Loss of Blue**

_Solar Ray Mall, Bianca's Flower Garden, 4:49 pm_

Today had been a long day. The Solar Ray Mall was thriving as ever, each store inside bursting with customers. The Late Summer Sales had started this week, which had prompted the mass increased in shoppers. Bianca's flower stall had enjoyed a small boost in revenue too, thanks to the sales. She had checked her reviews online, and she was rated very favourably. It was nearly time for her to close up, when she saw someone familiar leave the mall. This was Roger Martin, the man who saved the mall from closure and still worked tirelessly to improve it.

"Ah, hello boss." Bianca said, smiling, as Roger came over. "I've noticed you've come here every week. How does your beloved have any space left to put the flowers? Or extra vases, for that matter?"

"Oh, I just have to be creative." Roger said. "When you own the most successful shopping complex in the city, it's easier to buy flowers for the one you love. Back when I was young, I had to save up a lot just to get a small bouquet of roses."

"You've certainly accomplished a lot with this place. You should enjoy the fruits of your labour." Bianca said. "How is Karen, anyway?"

"She's doing great. A little busy with her work, but so am I. Actually, I'm thinking of asking her to move in with me. I mean, we've been spending so much time together. Why not take the next step?"

"That's nice!" Bianca said. "I hope she says yes. Anyway, here you go, another dozen red roses."

"Thank you." Roger said. "Tell me, does your Kazuya buy you flowers?"

"Not a lot. That might be because I have plenty of them already!" Bianca said, laughing. "Instead, he makes origami swans and things like that. I tried doing that, but I used up all the coloured paper."

"Hahaha!" Roger smiled, and paid for the roses. "Well then, I'll leave you to it. Take care now."

Roger left, whistling to himself. Bianca had lost count of the men who came to her, hoping to impress a special lady in their lives. Some of them, however, were just hoping that giving them flowers would earn them special favours of a certain kind. Bianca tried not to let that get to her - after all, spreading the city with her flowers was her life's goal.

"Hey!" Kazuya said. Bianca gasped - he had been there the whole time whilst she was checking her tulips. "Guess what. They were talking about you on TV!"

"Seriously?" Bianca said. "What channel?"

"Channel 6. It wasn't anything big, they were just talking about romantic gifts and great places to find them." Kazuya said. "You are ready to go now, right?"

"Certainly, Kazuya-kun." Bianca said. "Richard's certainly training hard. I hope he doesn't tire himself out too much."

"I...phew...heard...that!"

As if on cue, Richard was behind them, sweating buckets. Kazuya laughed, whilst Bianca smiled, instinctively reaching for a water bottle.

"Thanks, Bee." Richard said, grabbing the bottle. "I gotta get faster. Next month, we're gonna win!"

"Well, I hope you do." Bianca said. "Let me lock up, and we'll hit Saragel."

"Hey, Kaz..." Richard said, still breathing heavily. "You have any more weird dreams?"

"There was an odd one a while ago, actually. A man with red hair attacked a rather irritating woman..." Kazuya said. "I didn't recognise either of them, though."

"Oh." Richard said. "I didn't have that one. You think we're still having those dreams from the past like Stella said?"

"Most likely." Kazuya said. "We must have lead interesting lives in our former lives. The strange thing is, though, the place in my dream looked fairly modern. Well, it's just a dream."

"Ah, you're already here." Alastair said, behind Richard. "I see you've already been training."

"Ally!" Richard said, smiling. "How you been, old pal?"

"I'm twenty six, Richard. I'm not old enough to be called that." Alastair said. "Listen, before we head to Saragel, I'd like to buy us all dinner."

"Really?" Kazuya asked. "That's awfully kind of you, but you did that last week -"

"So? What's wrong with me doing it again?" Alastair said. "Bianca, how would you like to try the best Greek restaurant in the city?"

"I don't know any Greek restaurants in the city, but...why not?" Bianca said. "I can never resist your dinner invites. It's so wonderful, having a friend who knows good food."

"Indeed it is. Now then, if we're ready, let's go." Alastair said.

As Roger brushed some sweat from his brow, he noticed a young woman in the distance, watching him. It was Keisha Vivaldi, Roger's secretary.

"Who's she?" Kazuya asked. "Does she know you, Richard?"

"Nope. Never seen her before." Richard said. "But she's looking right at me! What should I do?"

"Wave at her!" Bianca said. "She might want to come over."

Richard smiled, and waved at Keisha. She simply shrugged, and left. Richard's smile quickly vanished, and he stood there, quiet.

"That didn't exactly work." Alastair said. "Maybe she was interested in someone else."

"Please, I'm sure she was interested in Richard." Bianca said. "Don't get discouraged, Richard. You might see her again."

"Uh...yeah!" Richard said. "C'mon, how do we get to this Greek place? I'm hungry!"

"Well, we take a left from here..." Alastair said. The team left the area, for yet another dinner for four.

_Amara's Apartment_

"So why did we meet here again?" Blaine asked.

"Because, Blaine, we don't need to eat out every time we go to the other world. Besides, Amara's place is the nearest one to the warehouse." Nathan said. "Anyway, I might as well tell you all. This Thursday, I will be 29 years old."

"What, really?" Serena said. "So next year, you'll be as old as Blaine!"

"So, my little Nathan's becoming a man..." Blaine said, grinning. "I'm so proud!"

"Knock it off!" Nathan said. "Anyway, I'd like to invite you over to my house to celebrate. Don't forget, however, that the other guests are rather distinguished members of society."

"Chill out, Nathan. We'll be good boys and girls." Zao said. "I just hope they've got a sense of humour, though. There's nothing worse than being stuck with a bunch of stuffy guys who can't even laugh at 'yo momma' jokes."

"...Uh, yes." Nathan said. "Well, are any of you interested?"

"Of course we'll go!" Amara said. "You're only twenty nine once!"

"If there's free booze, I'm there!" Blaine cheered, as he drank a can of cider. "C'mon, at times like these, you gotta get wild, and party the fuck out!"

"My celebrations are going to be somewhat tamer than yours, I imagine." Nathan said. "I just hope you don't make a mess. Especially since..."

"Since what, Nathan?" Serena asked.

"...I'm going to ask Priscilla to marry me."

Serena and Amara gasped. There was silence, but at the same time, the girls ran over and hugged Nathan. Zao smiled, and gave a thumbs up, whilst Blaine just silently chuckled.

"What's the matter with you two? She hasn't said yes yet!" Nathan said, laughing.

"We're just so happy for you! What took you so long, dude?" Serena asked. "You've been together most of your lives!"

"You're right. I could have asked her any time since we graduated together - probably before then - and I'm sure she would have said yes. But I was just comfortable with my life the way it was. I knew I wanted to be with her my whole life, regardless of whether or not she was Miss Lancaster or Mrs Albion. But now I want to make it official - it's time to grow up, and really become a man." Nathan said.

"Please, you don't need to go through with a big ceremony with white doves and horses and fireworks for that. You're already a man!" Blaine said. "But..."

"What?" Nathan said.

"...Congratulations, man. You deserve it." Blaine said, and he gave Nathan a hug.

"Oh, me too! Me too!" Zao said, who leapt forward to hug the two men.

"Easy, Zao! We might land on sharp coloured pencils!" Blaine said. "At least Nathan knows how to tidy up!"

"Well, now I'm really in the mood. Let's celebrate the upcoming nuptials by killing some Shadows!" Serena said. "I can't wait to tell everyone over there!"

"No, not yet. Let's wait until Priscilla says yes." Nathan said. "I don't think the others are going to be in a party mood. Besides, there could be another Divine Spark coming."

"Sheesh, you are one boring ass bastard!" Blaine said, smirking. Amara didn't get how he could speak that way and still sound friendly. "Well, if we've got a Divine Spark on the way, we better go and make an even bigger spark! Let's get going!"

_Other World, Secret Base_

No one was present today. However, there was coffee on the table that was still warm, and Kyle's computer was still on. It was installing some sort of executable program called "Arcadia".

"Oh, Arcadia!" Serena said. "That's the best emulator ever, made by Gimmel Millennium. I played Spiral Nemesis on it, and it worked okay."

"That's great, but where is everyone?" Nathan said. "Oh, hold on." He picked up a hastily handwritten note, and began reading it out loud.

**If you guys from the other world are coming today we're all out getting some practice. Nothing really big has happened and Lucy and Shirley haven't shown up anywhere yet. You might as well go out and kill some Shadows. If you do then here is where we will be:**

**Takanawa Arcade: Me Dan Matthew Alastair Tara**

**Farawell Shadow Development Centre: Aimee Kaman Keisha Bianca Roger**

**Aeternus Shopping Complex: Kazuya Amara Blaine Serena Nathan**

**Saragel Beach: Priscilla Karen Seraphina Richard**

"Hmm, it's rare for the Holy Cross to split up." Amara said. "Well then, where should we go?"

"How about Legarte Harbour?" Zao asked. "You guys said you went there once before, right? When Kyle got kidnapped and you had to go look for him?"

"Yeah, that's right. Boy, that kid was freaked out for a while." Blaine said. "How come you wanna go there?"

"...Well, maybe I can find out what happened to my grandpa." Zao said. "After all, we still haven't met my other self, right? I want to know what's going on with the harbour, anyway."

"Alright. Let's go back to the harbour." Serena said. "But Zao, you know it'll be in a really bad way, right? After all, the city's closed off - and we're floating in the air, too."

"I still need to see it with my own eyes. So we're going!" Zao said. "C'mon, hurry up!"

_Takanawa, Digital Destiny Arcade_

"I don't recall ever coming here before." Tara said.

"Me either. Environments like these hold little appeal for me." Alastair said.

The Digital Destiny Arcade had once been a popular venue, with a vast array of games. There was sections, or 'Clusters', for each genre. The entire place had a black and green look, and there were model robots and futuristic looking furniture everywhere.

In both worlds, the arcade had shut down. This world's had been overrun by Shadows, and the Ornatu Legion were given no orders to protect it. In the normal world, however, a lack of interest in arcade gaming led to the place's eventual downsizing and later closure. Now, a traditional Japanese hotel was being constructed where the arcade once stood.

The team had been looking around the establishment for a while now, and nothing of note had come up. Still, Matthew couldn't help but notice some loud noises towards the south part of the arcade.

"Hey, Kyle!" Matthew shouted. Kyle was taking apart an old arcade cabinet, that was once a car racing game. "What are you doing over there?"

"I'm trying to see if there are any parts worth taking. I could use some of these and modify them." Kyle said. "But they're all rusted. Damn."

"Kyle at it again?" Dan said, amused. "Matt, just leave him. When it comes to him and his technology, he won't quit. Some nights, he'll fall asleep at the computer, and I have to get him into bed."

"That so?" Matthew said, thinking to himself. "Hmm...I might just be able to help him out. Leave it with me. When I get back to Clairdol tonight, I should be able to arrange something."

"Arrange what?" Kyle said, leaving the remains of the cabinet.

"It's a surprise!" Matthew said, smiling. "Come on, this place is falling to bits."

"Why did we have to come to a dump like this?" Alastair said. "We should have gone to Kazuya's family restaurant. Even in times like these, they're still going strong."

"We didn't go out for food, you know." Tara said. "We're here to take down Shadows. Besides, I don't even like Japanese food that much."

"Have you ever tried it?" Alastair said. "Sushi may sound off-putting at first, but it's really quite a delicious blend of flavours that makes a delightful meal."

"Oh boy..." Matthew said.

"This guy sure loves his food." Dan said. "We sure could have used a guy like him when you were growing up. You remember, right Matthew? I couldn't even make those ready meals without something going wrong. It's pretty bad when you fuck up a microwavable macaroni!"

"Yeah. You _were_ really bad." Matthew said, smiling. "No wonder you took us out for burgers so much. I was always so happy when it was Blaine's turn to cook!"

"You must have had a lot of fun back then." Kyle said, with a bitter tone to his voice. "Anyway, I'm done. Let's continue fighting Shadows."

"What?" Alastair said. "We haven't found any to begin with!"

Right behind him, a peculiar Shadow appeared before him. It looked like a fusion of a warlock and a gnarled blossom tree. A Nyogo. Next to it was a powerful wizard type Shadow, a Magus, as well as one that resembled two Twins stuck together.

"Ther are Shadows right behind me, aren't they?" Alastair said.

Alastair quickly turned around, and slashed the Nyogo with his blade. However, the steel blade just phased right through it, and the Nyogo smacked Alastair around a bit with it's branches. The Twins were quick to follow up, assaulting Alastair with a spin attack.

"Hold on!" Matthew said. "Aero Slash!" Acolnahuacatl pounced out of nowhere, and attacked the Magus with slashes powered by the wind. The Magus, making aggrieved noises, started to cast a spell - but nothing happened.

"What happened?" Tara asked. The Twins darted at her, but she struck back with her weapon.

"Simple! He's been silenced!" Matthew said. "Now it can't do anything to help out!"

"Sweet!" Dan said. "Ziodyne!"

Electricity struck the Nyogo, but it had very little effect. In retaliation, it cast Magarula. The spell packed quite a bunch. It was rather likely that it had the innate Wind Boost ability.

"Mamagnara!" Tara conjured Maká, and blasted the Shadows with powerful rock blasts. This eliminated the Magus, but the Twins and Nyogo were still alive.

"Son of a bitch! Die already!" Matthew said, rushing at the Twins. He furiously swung his knives, but somehow, the Twins didn't feel any pain. Instead, Matthew felt like something was striking him. "Oww..."

"Crap. Your physical moves are getting reflected." Kyle said. "Hold on. I think I can finish off the Nyogo in one hit. Agidyne!"

Hephaestus sent forth a blast of fire that completely reduced the Nyogo to ashes. The Twins seemed to recoil in horror. In fact, they started dashing towards the exit, but Tara jumped in front of them. They turned around, but Alastair had positioned himself behind them.

"Okay, Alastair, I know you prefer fighting with your own buddies, but how would you like to try a move with me?" Tara said.

"This should be interesting. Yes, let's do that." Alastair said. Michael emerged, and Maká touched Michael's blade with her staff. Their weapons were empowered by a green glow, the power of Mother Earth itself.

"Gaia's Grace!" The two of them called out. It seemed strange, but when Persona users combined their attacks, they seemed to both know the name of the move they created. Perhaps that was due to their combined will. Michael impaled the ground near the Twins, and a massive stone pillar shaped like Michael's sword rose from beneath the Twins. The pillar broke apart, hitting the Twins with an avalanche of rocks as they fell to the ground. Their power was lost, and they dissolved into nothingness.

"Phew!" Tara said. "I haven't seen that tree Shadow kind before. They're tough. I have to remember to train more while I'm here."

"Yeah." Matthew said. "It's hard to get practice in when you're in Clairdol. There's not even a good gym back there. The best they have are exercise bikes and treadmills."

"Hehe..." Dan said, suddenly smug. "Lemme guess. You're jealous of your big brother's buff body?"

"What on earth?" Alastair said, with a look of incredulity. "Are you _serious_?"

"Dan!" Matthew said. "It's not that. I just wish I was strong, you know. Like, enough to knock out anyone trying to mess with people I care about. You used to do it all the time. Saved my behind a lot of times."

"You still remember, huh?" Dan said. "I did get a little out of control. But they were trying to rob you. I wasn't going to let him take your pocket money. The idea of them making my little bro sad just...got me so riled up."

"I see." Alastair said. "Matthew, I don't think you need to emulate your brother to protect people. In fact, you're a detective. You should have better ways to administer justice."

"Justice..." Matthew said. "Well, maybe so. It'd be nice to be a little tougher, though."

"Nah, you're fine as it is. Besides, big bros have to be tough." Dan said. "C'mon! The Shadows are dead meat! There might be some outside, so let's get it on!"

"...What?" Tara said.

"Woops, bad choice of words." Dan said. "Let's just go out and make some noise, okay?"

"I suppose it might be entertaining to partake in more fights like these." Alastair said. "Once we're done, I'll prepare some late night snacks to replenish our energy. There's something rather unique I've been looking into - a type of gum with a meat flavour."

"Oh, come on. What kind of carnivore would eat that?" Dan said.

"Well, you never really did eat salad..." Matthew said.

"Ah, shaddup. Let's go already!" Dan rushed out of the arcade. Matthew and Kyle followed, laughing.

"Meat gum?" Tara said, raising her eyebrow.

"Well, it could catch on!" Alastair said, sheepishly.

_Farawell Shadow Development Centre_

"So what kind of place is this?" Kaman said. He stared around the entrance, and frowned.

"Well, they used it to create Shadows, until they finished building the headquarters." Aimee said. "Also, I'm glad you finally changed clothes."

"You are?" Kaman said. "I'm not sure this outfit is very me. It feels a bit young."

Aimee gazed at the new clothes Keisha had helped pick for him. He had a blue and black vesst on,that was padded, with a long white scarf with a metal cross fixed near the middle. Also, he had blue pants with zips at the ends - Keisha's reasoning being that zips were the new fashion craze - and a belt, complete with a silver chain. Completing his new look were gray arm guards.

"It's not a bad look, you know." Bianca said.

"Yeah, she's right!" Keisha said, wrapping her arms around Bianca. "You look smoking hot! Another awesome wardrobe, developed by the genius of Keisha Vivaldi!"

"Genius...right. If you say so. I guess I'll stick with it for a little while." Kaman said. "Anyway, why don't you girls go on ahead? I wanna catch a quick smoke."

"Why just the girls? You think I want to be around your cigarette smoke too? Fat chance. I'm going up ahead to waste some Shadows. Catch you later." Roger said, grumbling.

"Oh, he is such an asshole!" Keisha said. "Why are all the older guys here so...ungraceful? I mean, they're so rough around the edges, with their alcohol, their smoking, and their foul language!"

"Sorry, missy, but with my wife gone, I had other things to think about than trying to be a pretty boy." Kaman said. "Go on, go help Roger beat up Shadows."

Keisha shrugged, and reluctantly followed Roger. Bianca hesitated, and looked at Kaman.

"Hey, you." Kaman said. "You're into flowers, aren't ya?"

"Yes..." Bianca said. "I love them. They're the perfect works of nature, with dazzling colours and beautiful petals, growing in the bright sunlight."

"Heh. Sounds like me. I used to rave about selling beer all the time, to anyone who would listen. I practised all the time, trying to serve the perfect cocktails, and chatting to all the young drinkers out for a fun Friday night. Even the bad guests, who I had to throw out - I loved it all." Kaman said. "...But I don't think I can ever feel like that again."

"But surely, if you put your mind to it-"

"It's not my mind...it's my heart." Kaman said, thumping his chest. "I just don't want to go through all that again. When I was married, I didn't mind having to go through all the preparation. I had someone I could complain to...and someone to complain to me about her problems, too. You've got someone special, right?"

"Well, there's Kazuya, Richard, and Alastair. We met under dire circumstances, I'll admit, but they are my best friends. I love them dearly. Kazuya's so eager to teach me about his family's Japanese ancestry. Alastair always comes to me to help him prepare meals for the four of us. And Richard is so full of energy, and he makes me want to run off and jump around with him." Bianca said. "So if I lost them, I'd be...I wouldn't be able to go on."

"...Don't ever take them for granted." Kaman said. "Keep them as your best friends. For as long as you can. And don't ever stop telling them how precious they are to you. If you don't, and you lose your last chance…well, you get the idea."

"I see. Well, I should get going." Bianca said, running to the staircase.

"Tch." Kaman said, pulling out his cigarettes. "What, you're still here? You can't enjoy the smell of this. You should hurry up and go after the flower lady."

"...I know how you feel." Aimee said. "The Shadows stole someone precious to me, as well."

"Huh?" Kaman said. "You were married?"

"No!" Aimee said. "I'm only eighteen! I wouldn't be going down the aisle at this age! No, the person who died was my older brother."

"Oh?" Kaman said, putting away his lighter for a second. "When was this?"

"Ten years ago. I...I still can't forget how it happened. Even as he was dying, he was begging me to get away, and to keep going." Aimee said. "He must have known he couldn't have defeated those Shadows. But...I get it now. He didn't want his baby sister to die. He wanted me to go on. Maybe he was hoping Zao was safe, and the two of us would find each other. ...We never did. But I still think I can find him."

"Zao? The wacky fisher boy?" Kaman said. "Oh god, this other world stuff is still messing with my head. Still..."

"What?" Aimee said. Kaman smiled, and put his hand on her hair.

"You're alright." Kaman said. "You seem pretty grown up. And the way you take charge...it's just like Maria, all over again. So I guess I'm glad I'm part of this team."

"...Thank you." Aimee said, her face red. "Um, I should go."

"Sure. I'll see you up there. Don't worry, I'll be kicking ass tonight! You just watch!" Kaman said. Aimee waved as she ran off, and Kaman finally lit up his first cigarette. Now, he was no longer smiling.

"I wonder how long I can keep up this happy face." Kaman said, gazing as his reflection in the window. "What I wouldn't give to be with you right now...Maria."

_Legarte, Aeternus Supply Complex_

"...And over here is the medicine store. The most common purchases are anti-depressants, bandages, and aspirin." Kazuya said.

"Great. Just great." Other Serena said. "But did we really need the guided tour?"

"Well, what else do you want to do before we jump right in to fighting Shadows?" Kazuya said. "Speaking of which - over there! It's the weird cop kind!"

Kazuya's description was rather apt. Their design defied conventional monster designs. They were odd monsters, resembling overweight police officers. For an inexplicable reason, they had a hole in their torsos that had a key floating inside. These were the Officer variety of Shadows. Perhaps they were a manifestation of negative emotions regarding law enforcement. All across the world, there were many people who took a dim view of the police. However, debating the metaphysical origin of each class of Shadow was pointless. The time had come to destroy them.

"Sekhmet! Agidyne!" Other Amara called out. The flames incinerated one of the cops, knocking him over.

"Artemis! Aquadyne!" Other Serena beckoned. While powerful, her target was not knocked down.

"Setanta! Garudyne!" Other Nathan shouted. This didn't seem to hurt the Officers as much as fire attacks did.

"Go electrocute those cops!" Other Blaine yelled. The others stared at him, despite the more impressive sight of the Officer being electrocuted. "What? I had to follow what you guys were saying?"

"Well, we are supposed to be a team! Can't we co-ordinate our speech a bit more?" Other Serena said.

"Oh, come on." Kazuya said. "Well, you guys already used fire and lightning...so here goes nothing! Uriel, come forth!"

Uriel burst out of his body, gracefully flying into the air. Kazuya smiled, gazing at the Officers before him. Some of them were preparing for attacks, using Rakukaja, Sukukaja, or Power Charge. Clearly, they intended for a massive barrage of physical attacks that would overwhelm their targets fast. Yet, Kazuya had an idea.

"Mahamaon!"

His power over light had grown. Before, he had been a lowly fighter who just managed to cut it above the abilities of an Ornatu Legion soldier. Now, he was stronger than before. Even if Richard, Bianca or Alastair weren't there to fight with him…he liked the new friends he had made. And so, he realised he could fight regardless of who he went with. Uriel's light attack struck, and four out of five of the officers were gone.

"Holy shit!" Other Nathan said.

"Whoa!" Other Blaine said. "You actually said that word!"

"I've been out of upper class meetings for a long time now!" Other Nathan said. "But well done, Kazuya! That was absolutely incredible!"

"No kidding." Amara said. "You give really boring tours, but your angel's got some spunk."

"Thank you, everyone." Kazuya said. "Now then, I'll leave the last one to you."

"Got it!" Other Blaine said. Kazuya watched as the others dashed up to the remaining Officer, and...beat it to a bloody pulp with their weapons. Even though it was a monstrosity that had destroyed the peace, Kazuya felt sorry for it. Finally, the attacks stopped, and the Shadows were gone.

"Well, it looks like you...had fun." Kazuya said. "Especially after what happened with Lucy. Oh, I'm sorry, I should not have brought that up."

"...Yeah. You shouldn't." Other Blaine said, sulking. "I'm going up there. You guys do what you like." With that, he went up the stairs.

"I was told that in the other world, Roger became the owner of this place." Other Amara said. "And thanks to him, the place has became the biggest shopping complex in the entire city."

"...You know, I hate to say this, but I'm jealous." Other Nathan said. "We're not welcome in that dimension. If we came over, it would disrupt their peace and create a huge headache for everyone. But it's fine for them. They can pop over, beat up Shadows, and go home to their beds safe and sound."

"When you put it that way, it does seem unfair." Kazuya said. "But they're good people. I think they realise how harsh this environment is. They've enjoyed an extra ten years of undisturbed peace and harmony, and their hardships are far removed from ours. That's why they can understand how horrible things really are - how precious their own peace is."

"So you're saying that because they have it so good, that makes them want to help us even more?" Other Amara said. "You might have a point there..."

"Yeah." Other Serena said. "Maybe someday, we'll get our city back to the way it was. And we'll make it a million times better! But only until every last Shadow is gone!"

"Speaking of which, I hear some more upstairs. Let's hurry." Other Nathan said. Kazuya stared as they ran up ahead.

When he lost in combat, he felt humiliated. He was trained to believe he had supernatural gifts only a select few had, and he would be one of the chosen to lead civilisation to salvation. Yet, newcomers had beaten him so easily, and they proceeded to do so with his comrades. Now, he had switched allegiances. And he felt unbeatable.

"Hey! Are you coming or not?" Other Serena yelled. "The tour's over, you hear?"

"We'll see about that! I'll educate you people yet!"

Kazuya rushed up the stairs, knives at the ready.

_Legarte Harbour, Left Side_

"Ah, I remember. We fought that weird clock Shadow." Serena said. "That was when the Holy Cross were still enemies. Amazing how fast things change, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Hey, cool! You see that huge mark on the ground? I did that!" Blaine said, excited. "See? My Tlaloc's electricity is fucking powerful, that's for damn sure."

"We have been causing a bit of damage with our attacks. Of course, not quite as much as the Shadows have done." Nathan said. "Not that it matters, with the port in this state."

"...It's horrible." Zao said. "Legarte Harbour is supposed to have ships coming and going all the time! But look, the water's all dark and murky. And there's nothing but trash everywhere."

"Well, Zao, we've all seen how bad this version of the city is. That's why we're fighting so hard." Serena said. "Where exactly does your grandpa live, Zao?"

"Oh, there's this little cul de sac filled with old bungalows. He's in number 4. C'mon, let's go." Zao said.

Soon enough, the team had arrived at the cul de sac. For the most part, the bungalows were intact, but clearly, no one lived in this part of the city anymore. Most of the windows were smashed, and one bungalow's roof was missing most of it's tiles. Yet...

"Look!" Zao said. "There's a light on at number 4!" He ran over to the house as fast as he could, and opened the gate. "Grandpa, I'm home - hey!"

Amara had grabbed his arm, stopping him from moving forward.

"Are you crazy, Zao? You don't know what's going on with your other self! He might be in there right now!" Amara said. "Think, Zao! We can't just frighten your grandfather with two Zaos running around!"

"But!" Zao said. "What if he's dead?!"

"Your grandfather is alive, remember." Nathan said. "Remember, when you return tonight, he'll be safe and sound right here."

"I know that! But he's still my grandfather, no matter what world we're in!" Zao said. "Amara, when you thought your father was dead in this world, didn't you end up crying? It still felt like your own father was gone, because...it was your father!"

"Alright, Zao. Tell you what. The four of us will go in, and you wait outside." Amara said. "C'mon, hide! He can't see you until we're sure!"

"Fine. You better not scare him, okay?" Zao said. Sulking, he stormed off, kicking an empty can on the way.

"Alright, I know this is a pretty unusual, unrealistic and fucked up situation, but he still needs to grow up." Blaine said.

"Can we just do this?" Amara asked. She walked up to the door, and knocked. "Hello? Is anyone here?"

"Go away! You stupid lady, what are you going outside for?! It's not a good day for a walk, is it?" an old man said. He didn't open the door, but Amara could just about make him out through the glass.

"That's Zao's grandfather?" Serena asked. "What a jerk."

"I'm sorry to disturb you, sir, but I'm looking for Deo Yuria! Are you him?" Amara said. "I'm a friend of Zao Yuria, his grandson!"

The door opened, and a very feeble, wrinkled old man was there, unsteadily holding a stick.

"Alright, I'm listening. I'm Deo, the one they call the master fisherman of the seas. So what, are you Zao's girlfriend? He could do a lot better, that's for sure. Couldn't he have found a nice white girl?" the old man said.

"Hey, don't you dare say that!" Serena said. "Amara is awesome, you racist bastard!"

"Please, Serena, let me deal with this. Um..." Amara said. _I hope I get along better with him in my world_. Now, Amara had to come up with a story that didn't confuse the old man. Which meant she had to shy away from describing the alternate dimensions, or Personas. "Let's see...ah. I knew Zao a long time ago. With the whole Shadow chaos going on, I wasn't able to find him. I'd like to know where Zao is."

"Beats me. I haven't seen him in donkey's years." Deo said, shrugging. Amara stared at Deo, and wondered. She hadn't properly seen Deo before, but she distinctly remembered Zao showing pictures of his beard. It was a mighty beard, left unshaven for decades. Even before Zao was born in 1990, it was a beast.

"Hey, old guy. When did you last see Zao?" Blaine asked.

"I don't remember. He said something about joining the Ornatu Legion. Never liked me that much, that stupid grandson of mine." Deo said.

"Um, Amara?" Serena said. "I think we should go…"

"...Yeah." Amara said. _He's gone mad. But with all that's happened, I can't blame him for snapping._ "Well, if you do see him, could you tell him -" she said, but someone pushed right past her. "Zao!"

"What the hell are you doing here?" Zao shouted. "This is grandpa's house!"

"Zao!" Blaine shouted. "What are you, retarded? That's your grandpa!"

"No it fucking isn't!" Zao replied. "The grandpa I know has a really big beard, all tangled up!"

"Huh?" 'Deo' said. "I never had a beard like that! Did you bang your head when you woke up this morning? Anyway, what do you even want? Money?"

"Zao, who is this guy?" Amara asked.

"That's Bernard Severn. He used to be a neighbour of my grandpa before he passed away." Zao said. "He and my grandpa hated each other, and he didn't like me much either. I was just looking around, and…Bernard's old house is ruined."

"So what, Bernard came here?" Serena asked. "Then where's the real Deo?"

"I'M the real Deo!" Bernard screamed. "Get out of my house, now!"

"You shut up, you old bastard!" Zao yelled. "Where the hell is my grandpa! You're not him! You're Bernard Severn! You used to have a wife called Harriet, who used to be a burlesque dancer! And you had a son who moved away to be a top surgeon someplace in Hong Kong!"

"Zao, how do you know all that?" Nathan asked. _Burlesque? So she was a classy stripper?_

"How do you think, Nathan? Grandpa told me! He was Bernard's neighbour for most of his life! And they hated each other!" Zao said.

"Harriet..." Bernard said. That name seemed to have made him think. Perhaps his actual memories were resonating. "No! T-this house is mine! It belongs to me! I'll be safe here! You don't want to be in one of the other houses, oh no! Bad things happen if you live in one of those! But this place will be fine! Ornatu Legion people come here once in a while and get rid of those pesky Shadows! They haven't been here lately, but it's been crazy these past few months!"

"Sounds to me like he's convinced himself he's Deo." Amara said.

"Yeah. Stupid geezer..." Zao said, angry. "He always was jealous of grandpa."

"Didn't I just tell you to get out?!" Bernard screamed. "You can't just stay here if you want shelter! This place is all mine! I deserve it! I've worked hard all my life, and I've earned the right to survive her alone! I'm going to stay put right here until they get rid of all of those Shadows! So go away - argh!"

His delusions were cut short by a mighty katana impaling him through his chest. Behind him was one of the Musha Shadows, accompanied by two Idol Shadows. The Musha removed the katana from the gaping wound in Bernard's chest, and the man lifelessly fell to the ground.

"No!" Serena said, horrified.

"Crap!" Zao said. "If we fight here, we'll end up destroying the entire place!"

"Does that matter now?!" Nathan said. "Your grandpa isn't here! Hurry up and attack, before they get us!"

Amara summoned Hathor, and gulped. Up until now, she hadn't paid attention to the effects her Persona's abilities had on the environment. Yet if she let loose with her attacks here, the house would indeed be destroyed. Granted, it's real inhabitant was nowhere to be seen, but Zao clearly held an attachment to this house. So, she would have to be careful where her attacks hit.

It was a struggle, and they broke apart quite a lot of the surrounding walls, but the house managed to survive the battle. The Idols were quick to dispatch, and were only a threat due to their ability to cause exhaustion. The Musha survived a bit longer, but Rashnu's sharp stabs broke through it's defences. The Musha collapsed, it's armour breaking off into pieces that dissolved quickly. Looking around, Amara saw just how much of the walls had been wrecked. Fighting in a cramped space like this was not ideal, for precisely this reason.

"Damn!" Zao said. "Grandpa! Are you there?"

There was silence. Amara gazed at Bernard's bleeding corpse, and shivered.

"I never thought we'd have to see another dead body in this world..." Serena said, her face pale. "We can't just leave him here, can we?"

"Well, he's got blood all over him. If we're seen in our world with that blood on our clothes, it'll be suspicious." Nathan said. "We can't risk being arrested, can we?"

"Yeah. It feels wrong, though..." Blaine said.

"I'm going to look inside." Zao said. He went through, and the others followed. The living room was a mess, with many stains on the carpets and walls. There was also an unbearable stench, that made Amara almost throw up. _Was this guy so crazy he never went to the bathroom? Ugh..._

"Not even a Malboro could smell this bad..." Serena said, shuddering. "No one ask me what that is. Can we hurry up and get out of here?!"

Zao ignored her, and opened the door to a bedroom. Unlike the rest of the house, this room was fairly clean, despite being dusty.

"I don't think we're going to find anything here. We should go." Amara said. "...Zao, are you listening to me?"

"Shut up!" Zao yelled. "You don't get it at all! I have to find out what happened to my grandpa!"

Blaine, restless, opened a closet, and immediately leapt back at the sight of what was inside.

"Huh?!" Zao walked up - and gasped. Everyone was in shock. Inside the closet was a shovel, that was covered with dried blood.

"Is that your grandpa's?" Amara asked.

"No, my grandpa hates gardening. That's Bernard's. But...it's covered in blood." Zao said. "...That old bastard! He didn't...did he?!"

"Hold on." Blaine said. "There's a diary on here. It's got your grandpa's name on it, too."

"Let me see it!" Zao said, grabbing the diary. He flipped near the end, and his face went pale. "Oh god..."

"What?" Amara asked.

Zao handed the diary to Amara, shaking. Amara started to read it out loud…

**My grandson joined the Ornatu Legion today. Zao, the little boy who watched with pride as I faced off against the demons of the sea. He'll be fighting those horrible monsters. I still remember that day his parents were found dead, and Zao was sent to live with me. He was screaming, not just for them, but for Karl. That boy who always loved playing soccer. Aimee, Karl's sister, was important to him too. Now, I'm the only person left in this neighbourhood, apart from that old bastard Bernard. I suppose now I**

"Now he...what?" Nathan asked. "Does it just stop there?"

"...Look." Amara said, showing the diary. There was a giant pen mark that went all the way down the page. "He must have been killed while he was writing in here."

"Read...the next page." Zao said. Amara turned over, and read on.

**Today has been dreadful. Someone with a huge beard broke into my house, and I had to fight him off with my trust shovel! I think I knew him, but I don't remember his name. I had to bash his head in with the shovel a lot of times, and then I threw his body onto a bonfire! Can't have the Ornatu Legion locking me up, can we? Even if they let me out, they wouldn't protect me! And I don't know where my stupid grandson went. Idiotic, hyperactive little child. Always talking about fishing. I hope those Shadows teach him a little respect!**

"...That's horrible." Nathan said. "Not only did he kill your grandfather...he tried to take his place."

"We know, Nathan. I think his lack of sanity was well established already." Serena said. "Zao, I'm sorry..."

"...Don't worry about it, Serena. I'm...I'm okay." Zao said. "All I really wanted to know was what happened to him. Now I know..."

"Hey, didn't he say that your other self was in the Ornatu Legion?" Blaine said. "We never came across you, though. We would have remembered."

"We could ask Kyle. He'd be able to find a list of members, I'm sure of that." Amara said. "Zao..."

Zao's eyes were fixed to the shovel. Surely, horrid thoughts were creeping into his head. Amara grabbed his hand, and tried to smile.

"Amara..."

"We need to go. You don't want to stay here, do you?" Amara said. "There's nothing here for you anymore."

"...That's right. Grandpa's gone." Zao said. "That stupid Bernard...if he wasn't already dead, I'd kill him! How dare he do this!"

"Easy, Zao. Time to go." Blaine said. The five of them made their way out of the house, Amara holding Zao's hand the whole time.

_Legarte Harbour_

"There they are!"

Seraphina, Karen, Priscilla and Richard were there, looking worried.

"Hey, you guys." Amara said. "What's up? I thought you were at Saragel Beach?"

"We were, but it was so boring!" Richard said.

"You were the one suggesting we go there fighting in bikini armour!" Priscilla said. "I'm not dressing like that, for Nathan or anyone else!"

"Bikini armour, huh? " Blaine said. "Impractical, but titillating. I see the appeal." He gave Richard a thumbs up, with a lecherous smile. Nathan frowned, and loudly mumbled something about 'perverts'.

"It was just a joke! Seriously, though, there wasn't much going on. Nina wasn't there this time, so we just killed a bunch of those blob Shadows. And those weird balls with the tongues." Richard said. "What happened with you guys?"

"Well..." Zao said. He slowly began discussing the group's attempt to find Deo Yuria, only to find a neighbour had murdered him and convinced himself he was the real Deo. It was a painful experience to have to relate to someone, and the others watched."

"Darn. That can't have been a lot of fun." Richard said.

"You poor boy..." Karen said. "I'm sorry to hear about your grandfather. I can't believe you left that other man there, though."

"Well, like Nathan said earlier, if we were to go back to our world with bloody clothes, we'd get into a lot of trouble." Serena said. "That man was really off the deep end, wasn't he?"

"He can burn in hell for what he did to my grandpa!" Zao said. "But here's the other thing. According to my grandpa's diary, the other me is in the Ornatu Legion!"

"Really?" Richard said. "I never met you there!"

"The name Zao Yuria has never come up until our paths crossed." Seraphina said. "Actually, that is not quite correct. The first time was when Amara was excitedly telling us about your first date with her."

"Oh." Zao said. "So for all we know, the other me is stationed somewhere. And we could run into him sometime."

"Yes." Karen said. "He might have an artificial Persona, too."

"What?!" Zao said. "I didn't think of that! But surely, if he has Rashnu as well-"

"If he was a natural Persona user, I'm sure we would know." Priscilla said. "After all, they were eager to use the Holy Cross and the Commander."

"So he's got one of those fake ones. But wait a minute, that could kill him!" Zao said. "What the hell am I going to do?!"

"Calm down!" Amara said. "Listen to me. We'll find out sooner or later. I think we should go home, don't you?"

"I...fine." Zao said. "I want to give my grandpa a call, anyway. I just need to hear his voice right now..."

"Why is it whenever we're here for training, crazy shit happens?" Blaine said.

"I don't know, but..." Serena said. "Never mind. I want to go home too. I just..."

"What?" Nathan said. "You can tell us!"

"It's nothing, honestly. I'm just worried...about my homework! Yeah!" Serena said, nervously laughing. She quickly followed Zao, Amara and the others.

"Hey, Nathan." Blaine said. "About your birthday, don't worry, I'll be a good little boy for your party. I can bring Lucy, right? She said she really liked spending time with you and Priscilla last time."

"Oh, of course." Nathan said. "You and Lucy certainly got close rather fast. I suppose that's a good thing."

"It sure is. She's smart, she's cute, and she's determined...man, I feel like I did when I was getting ready for my first date." Blaine said, smiling. "But anyway, how about you and I go out at the weekend and really get wild? You know, kick back and relax?"

"Hmm..." Nathan said. "You want me on a night out? You might think I'm a lightweight, but when I was a student, I did do a far bit of socialising. I haven't had anything like that since. Perhaps it's high time I got back into the swing of things. You're on."

"Sweet!" Blaine said. "Hey, and don't worry. There won't be any pole dancers or lap dancers, or even strippers. It'll just be us bros getting wasted all night long."

"I'm relieved to hear that. If you were to take me to somewhere like that, Priscilla and Lucy would be after our heads!" Nathan said, laughing. "Okay then, I'm looking forward to it. How about we start at your work? 8:30pm at the New Motus Lounge?"

"Sounds fine with me, buddy." Blaine said. "We better get a move on. The girls are glaring at us."

"It'll be alright. We're just having a man to man moment." Nathan said.

"We are? Well, as sexy as your red hair is, I'll pass!" Blaine said. The two men burst out laughing, and rushed up to the others. Zao was quiet as the team made their back to the other world, and nothing Amara did seemed to bring him out of his despair.

_Zao's Apartment_

Amara insisted on taking Zao home. She couldn't leave him alone - not after seeing him so upset. The prospect of facing the other Zao in combat was not one she was willing to face, but Zao was coping with it far worse than she was.

The two of them sat down at the leather sofa, barely paying attention to the programme on TV about the catacombs in Paris. Just then, Amara's phone rang. _Colette? What does she want?_

"Aren't you gonna answer that?" Zao asked. "Don't worry about me."

"...Fine." Amara said, finally answering. "Hi, Colette! What's up?"

"Oh, it's about time you picked up!" Colette said. "I've got some news. The man I was interviewing, the fashion designer? He just invited me to the "Le Grande Style" festival in Paris this December!"

"Really? That's fantastic!" Amara said, with the most forced display of cheerfulness Zao had ever seen. Luckily, Colette could not detect her lack of sincerity over the phone.

"I know! It's all because of what Lucy told me. I can't wait to see the newest winter designs!" Colette said. "I just had to tell everyone! It's going to be a blast. Now I have to get practicing my French. I never did do well at languages, though. Also, more importantly, we're going to Glasswater in about two weeks."

"Oh yeah..." Amara said. "That'll be nice, I look forward to that. I love travelling. In fact, last year, I went to Hawaii with my college friends. I was the only one really interested in seeing the sights, but we all had a good time."

The conversation carried on for some time. Zao just sat there, listening to the two girls banter about Colette's dislike of the cafeteria food and Juan's recent trip to Lucille Hill. Finally, Amara ended the conversation by claiming she was tired.

"Sorry about that." Amara said. "Didn't mean to bore you."

"Actually, um...it was nice to just hear a normal conversation." Zao said, with a weak smile. "It's good to be back in this world. Now I know why you didn't want me to find out."

"It's alright, Zao..." Amara said. "Are you going to give your grandpa that call?"

"Nah. I'll see him tomorrow." Zao said. "Hey..."

"What?" Amara said. Zao didn't respond, but he had that goofy smile Amara had grown fond of. He quickly reached over, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her.

"...I love ya." Zao said. "I'm glad I took that chance, that day on the beach."

"Me too..." Amara said, giggling. "Hey, I know what we can now! There's a program about dolphins on one of those nature channels!"

"Great!" Zao said, quickly changing the channel. "Karl says I can do a really good dolphin imitation, you know. After I've had a few beers."

"Really? We'll have to try that sometime." Amara said. She put her arm around Zao, as they watched the dolphins swim through crystal clear seas.

_If only we didn't have to fight in that other world. If only life could be like this every day. _

_If only I never have to see Zao cry._


	58. Chapter 58: Love Without Limit

**Chapter 58: Love Without Limit**

_Real People Offices, August 30__th__, 10:12 am_

To everyone else in the office, it was an ordinary day. Yet for Amara, it was a special occasion. Nathan was not only another year older, but he was about to make a commitment to Priscilla. What bothered her, however, was what took Nathan so long to propose. They had shared most of their lives since they were very young - why not go ahead and go the extra step?

"Yo."

Lucy was standing next to Amara, arms folded. _Oh great. What now?_

"Uh...hi, Lucy! What's up?" Amara said.

"Oh, don't look so worried. It's not your work I wanted to talk to you about. I just wondered if you had heard from Sheila?" Lucy asked. "She didn't come in today, and she didn't call in sick or anything."

Amara looked to Sheila's desk, and sure enough, she wasn't there. That was odd. Sheila hadn't missed a day of work yet, and if she was even a few minutes late, she would be straight over to Karen to apologise. So something must be up.

"Sorry, I haven't heard anything from her. Did you ask anyone else?" Amara asked.

"Well I already tried Stella and Colette, but they didn't know anything at all." Lucy said, sighing. "Dammit, and she wasn't finished with her column for this week..."

"Just keep trying her phone." Amara said. "Sorry Lucy, I don't think I can help you."

"Oh..." Lucy said. "Don't worry about it. Well, forget about that. You're going to that Nathan person's birthday today, aren't you?"

"Yeah!" Amara said, smiling. "Zao's coming, too. Let me guess, Blaine asked you to come as well?"

"Yes." Lucy said. "I wasn't so sure, but Blaine twisted my arm. He just said that I wouldn't just have him to talk to. I did like the people I met at the barbecue, and it'd be nice to talk to them all again. Priscilla's really nice, actually."

"I know. It's no wonder Nathan's gonna propose to her." Amara said, smiling. Lucy's eyes widened, and Amara immediately bit her lip. _Uh oh..._

"You weren't supposed to tell me that, were you?" Lucy said. "Relax, I get it. We'll make it a surprise! This is going to be a more exciting party than I thought. It'll be an excuse to have as much to drink as Blaine does!"

"Haha! Yeah!" Amara said. "Well, I'll see you later then. You better get back to work!"

"That's my line!" Lucy said, laughing. She left, and Amara returned to her work. Soon enough, Nathan would be engaged. There wasn't any doubt that Priscilla would say yes - she had shared so much of her life with him. Even today, her face glowed as she held his hand. Could Amara find that kind of happiness someday?

She did once before. Karl Davenport had been flirtatious to begin with, bragging about his skill, and flashing his wallet at every opportunity. Yet, after meeting each other every week - she was waiting for someone else, who constantly stood her up - she started to see a different side to him. He listened patiently to her, and the day he became her boyfriend, he wiped away the many tears streaming down her face. When she kissed him goodnight, his proud smile of arrogance became an adorable grin, filled with adoration and passion. And he certainly showed a lot of that towards her.

_What am I doing?! _Amara thought. _I can't keep thinking back to Karl. If only he and Zao weren't friends..._

Shrugging, Amara resumed her sketch. She had to concentrate on tonight…

_Saragel, Park_

"Okay, good work." Lucas said, handing a sweaty and exhausted Kyle a water bottle. "You're getting better every time we're out here. I'm almost jealous."

"Jealous? Of these?" Kyle said, looking at his legs.

"Now now, I don't want any of that. What I meant was how you're steadily improving. You'll do well at the event if we keep it up." Lucas said. "Oh...shit. I gotta get home, I need to go meet some friends. Um, you don't need my help, do you? Cause I'd hate to leave you stranded here. Wouldn't want your mom on my case."

"Take care!" Kyle said, waving, as Lucas ran off. Now he felt better. In fact, he decided to go for another few laps. Excited, he started wheeling himself across the park, desperate to get even faster. Suddenly, he saw someone waving up ahead. "Dan!"

"Yo, Kyle!" Dan said. He gave a thumbs up, as Kyle managed to stop. "Now those are some rockin' wheels!"

"Um..." Kyle said. "I didn't think you'd be here!"

"Well, Blaine told me that Serena told him that you were training here. Blaine seems to be trying to get me to talk to you more..." Dan said, sighing. "Still, I don't mind. I like this place a lot."

"Me too. Did you come here with Matthew?" Kyle asked. Dan's smile immediately vanished at the mention of this name.

"Yeah, we did...those were the days. He was always full of energy, but of course, little kids are like that. I wore myself out trying to chase after him, especially when we were playing by the park. And he was always so darn happy..." Dan said.

He looked at the play park, and watched the children play on the swings. "Matthew always made me push him harder and harder, just so show he could hang on. And when the three of us were at the park, he made us play this silly little game where he was a cop and we were suspects for a robbery. He loved it when he got to arrest us - and I had to beg for an appeal, too. Even when he got older, he always looked for adventure. Life was just one big journey for him. That little dork...he was always so happy to meet new people. But he cried if they didn't like him...and I had to buy him a shaved ice just to make him stop."

Dan tried to put on a brave face, but Kyle could see him cracking. He wanted to cry his eyes out, just at the mere mention of that name.

"...That sounds like Matthew." Kyle said, looking away. "Dan...I'm sorry. I shouldn't make you remember."

"It's not your fault. It's not like I can forget. Everywhere I go, I see the places me and him used to go. The beach, this park, even his old school. And even if I'm at home, I remember the days where...we watched his favourite shows. I..." Dan said, sniffling. "It's too hard. I remember Matthew every day of my fucking life. People say it gets easier, but it doesn't. It never will. I'm never going to forget the fact that my baby brother isn't coming back, no matter what I do. I can't get excited about tomorrow - Matthew won't be there to see it. There's no point in me doing anything at all...I could get married, have children, but...that'd be a sister-in-law, nephews and nieces that Matthew would never get the chance to meet. ...So that's that. Nothing means anything if he's dead..."

Kyle was speechless. He could see tears forming from Dan's eyes now. It felt strange, seeing this giant of a man (compared to Kyle, anyway) on the verge of tears. He raced his mind, trying to think of something to say that would cheer him up. But…what could he say to a man who had lost the most precious person in his life?

"...Dan." Kyle said. "Are you really thinking that way, every single day?"

"I'm not making it up, you know..." Dan said. "Blaine never talks about it. He must think I'll fall apart if I even hear his name. Truth is, I already have. I know I sound really pathetic to you, but screw it. I'm pathetic. No point trying to act like I'm not."

"But that's just it. You aren't." Kyle said. "You and I haven't known each other very long, but even so, you've been really cool. And I don't really know what else to say."

"I guess you're trying. You're a sweet kid. I shouldn't really be pouring my guts out to you, should I?" Dan said, with a weak chuckle. "I mean, you've got enough to worry about. This race, for example. Hey, where's your coach?"

"Lucas? He went off home. So I was just getting some more laps before dinner." Kyle said.

"Alrighty then. Since you had to listen to me ramble about Matthew, I'm gonna buy you dinner tonight!" Dan said. "Got anywhere in mind?"

"No..." Kyle said. "But I shouldn't eat anything too big. Maybe just a salad."

"Alright then!" Dan said. "Then I'll have to eat enough for the both of us. Steak and fries, maybe at the Buffalo Grill."

"Really? Then screw the salad! I'll just have to work that meal off!" Kyle said. "Let's go!"

"Righty!" Dan said.

_Nathan's House, Nova Albion, 6:42 pm_

Amara and Zao had arrived, the latter holding a bottle of champagne. He had been advised not to bring any, since it may give away the surprise of the proposal - but Zao didn't care. He just claimed that since it was a birthday, it was worth celebrating anyway.

"You look so cute when you get dressed up." Amara said, poking Zao's nose. He had picked out a nice white shirt with a blue tie and a light grey blazer, while Amara had opted for one of her black dresses.

"Please, I look cute regardless of the clothes I wear!" Zao said. "It's the blue hair and that irresistible smile!"

"Yeah yeah, so you keep saying." Amara said. "C'mon, you dork! Push the doorbell!"

Zao stuck his tongue out, and did as he was commanded. "I'm a lovable dork, so...I'll let that comment slide."

To Amara's surprise, it was neither Nathan or Priscilla who answered. Rather, it was an older gentleman, with fading red hair and plenty of wrinkles, yet he remained a handsome figure. This was likely Reginald, Nathan's father.

"Ah, Nathan told me about you. Miss Amara Furaha, I take it?" Reginald asked.

"Yeah." Amara said. "I mean, yes, sir!"

Reginald laughed, and shook his head. "My goodness, I'd forgotten how formal you all must think I am. Please, you can call me by my first name." He quickly held Amara's hand, and kissed it. "That, my dear, is how a gentleman greets a lovely lady such as yourself."

"Really? What about me?" Zao asked.

"...You can have a handshake, you little rascal." Reginald said. He politely shook Zao's hand, and the three of them went inside the house.

"Hey!" Blaine said, coming down the hallway. "Glad you guys made it. This party is freaking awesome!"

"Of course, you're the one pigging out on all the snacks..." Lucy said, exasperated. "You could at least eat with your mouth closed!"

"Aww, c'mon! I'm just trying to have a blast!" Blaine said. "Anyway, you're the one knocking back the wine!"

"I am not! I had three glasses!" Lucy said, annoyed.

Blaine rolled his eyes, but laughed anyway. Reginald stared confusedly, and glanced at his Rolex. The party hadn't started that long ago, so...Lucy had indeed enjoyed the wine the most. _Blaine's got some competition._

"Well, come on then! Let's go greet the birthday boy! Everyone's outside!"

The five of them left the hallway, and made their way to the porch. There, quite a few guests were in attendance, most of whom Amara didn't know. However, she remembered Tara, and she could guess the man next to her was Adrian. Looking closely, there was a man with silver hair that she felt was familiar, too.

"Oh, there you are!" Nathan said, running over. "Glad you could make it!"

"No problem! Happy birthday, Nathan!" Amara said, shaking his hand. He smiled, and gestured for his father to come over.

"Thank you. It's friends like these that make me happy to be another year older. You were introduced to my father, correct?" Nathan said. He put his arm around Reginald, smiling.

"Yes, I did! I can see where Nathan learned how to be a gentleman!" Amara said.

"And where he got that red hair from. Seriously, it's like all you guys have it!" Blaine said. "It's better than my boring brown, that's for damn sure!"

"Blaine! Don't speak like that with these people!" Lucy said, appalled.

"It would seem she wears the pants in this relationship." Reginald said, amused. "Honestly, however, I can tolerate your way of speaking. It actually brings back some memories. I had an altercation with a rather nasty drunk quite some time ago, and at the age I was then, I was a spoiled, arrogant aristocrat. My attitude towards that man almost cost me my future with my darling wife...which inspired me to rethink my way of thinking."

"Huh..." Blaine said. "Oh, right. My condolences."

"Oh, did Nathan tell you about Daphne's death?" Reginald said. "You're very kind. She was a lovely, compassionate woman. In fact, I see a lot of her in young Priscilla. Anyway, as to the man I came to blows with...many years later, me and Daphne were wed, I was in charge of my family' business, and Nathan was seven years old. The three of us were at a picnic in a beautiful park in Saragel, and Nathan was playing with a rather boisterous young boy by the pond. As it turns out, that boy's father was the man I had brawled with!"

"Wow, small world. What did you say to each other?" Amar asked.

"Well, it was rather awkward at first. Yet, when I saw how happy both Nathan and his boy were, I felt I could disregard my first impression of him. In fact, we were quickly able to talk fondly about the way our lives had turned out. He showed me his wife, and before we left, we shook hands. I never did meet that man again, but that proved to me that even places like Kanaloa can produce amazing people." Reginald said.

"Oh, there you are!" Priscilla said, as she came up to the group. "I had to get some more wine. I wasn't expecting Lucy to be so fond of this brand…"

"Well, she's only had three!" Blaine said, nudging Lucy with his elbow. Lucy quietly growled at him, and politely walked over to the other guests. "I could be wrong, but I think I'm embarrassing her."

"I wouldn't worry. I reckon she was expecting a somewhat more formal event." Reginald said. "We may be among the city's social elite, yet there's no reason we can't party. Now then, tell me about what you all do. Nathan did say you were rather interesting people."

"Oh, well I'm an artist for a magazine! But I'd love to have my own art gallery someday." Amara said.

"I'm a fisherman down at Legarte! In fact, my grandpa is none other than Deo Yuria!" Zao said.

"And I'm just a barman." Blaine said, shrugging. "It's not a bad life, though. I get to serve my favourite drinks every night, and there's plenty of beauties coming on every hour of the night. Of course, they don't compare to my Lucy!"

"You remind me of my younger days. I did enjoy complimenting the women around the office - although I often got into trouble." Reginald said.

"Yes, I remember that. One day, mother took me to see dad in the office, and she smacked him silly when she caught him complimenting this secretary's bikini photos." Nathan said.

"I was only trying to be sociable!" Reginald said, blushing. "Although she did have rather smooth legs."

"Nathan, I gotta say this. Your dad is one cool dude." Blaine said.

"Um...thanks." Nathan said. "Isn't Serena coming?"

At that moment, the doorbell rang. Sure enough, Serena was at the door, and she apologised profusely as Priscilla lead her to the guests.

"Thank god I made it in time! I was afraid I'd miss the...um...cake!" Serena said, staring at Nathan.

"Oh, yes! It'd be a shame if you weren't here for...the cake!" Nathan said.

"Why are you so worried about that? It's huge. Even with all these people here, there's enough for everyone. Come on, relax." Priscilla said. Looking at Nathan, who was fidgeting with his pockets, Amara gulped. _You might not say that if you knew what the real surprise was..._

"Holy cow! Smoked salmon!" Zao said, dashing over to the snack table.

"Amara, I swear you pick the weirdest boyfriends." Serena said. "Oh, that reminds me. You said your work was going to Glasswater soon, right? Our school's having some kind of cultural exchange with a school over there. So we'll be going about the same time you are!"

"Really? That sounds perfect!" Amara said. "I hope we get some time to hang out. We might come by this school if it's worth writing about."

"I'm sure it will be. It sounds like one heck of a school!" Serena said. "It looks like the setting for a mystery novel, though…"

_Later that evening_

The night had been wonderful. Lucy started to enjoy herself more, even laughing at Blaine's jokes about rather raunchy office antics. However, that may have been down to the amount of wine she had consumed that evening. The cake had been delicious, too, and Nathan was impressed at the gifts he had received.

"Wow, I wasn't expecting a gift from Blaine." Nathan said, looking at the box. He opened it, and gasped. Inside was a meticulously designed model train, with a gorgeous black and chrome finish. "What the - Blaine, just how much did you spend on this?"

"That's for me to know!" Blaine said. "You told me you liked trains a few weeks ago, remember? I figured you'd be the kind of guy with a huge train set."

"Oh, he is. I catch him playing with it some mornings in his underwear." Priscilla said.

"Did you have to bring that part up?" Nathan asked, sighing. "Oh, well...thanks, Blaine. I owe you big for this."

"I do? I'll hold you to that..." Blaine said, with a sneaky smile. Nathan continued to open the gifts, but he looked rather embarrassed. He must have felt too old for this sort of thing. Still, he was greatly appreciative of all the presents - Amara's gorgeous painting of Nova Albion in the moonlight, Zao's joke book, and Serena's set of Kuzonoha detective novels.

"Alright, everyone. I'd like to thank you all for coming today. I'm not getting any younger, but I'll never forget how many good friends I have in the world. But most of all, I want to thank four people. First of all, my father, who despite our disagreements, remains my role model and...my hero." Nathan said. "He really is the one I always looked up to. I loved seeing him at work, or at home, and hearing about how amazing his day was. Now I get to see for myself why he loved that office so much. But more than that, dad taught me about honour, and being strong no matter what hardship you might have to face. For that, I'll always be grateful."

Reginald gave his son a warm smile, and raised his glass. Blaine looked away, and wiped his eye. _I love my dad too...looks like we all share that in common. Except Serena. _Amara gazed at Serena, who seemed uninterested in the speech. She glared at her, and Serena gulped.

"And the next two...Tara and Adrian, I love you guys. It was so strange when we all met, wasn't it? We were in a different country, but we were all from the same place. And those years of studying were well worth it. I made some of my best friends, and it's been wonderful seeing you two get closer and closer. Now you two are about to be married, and it's brilliant. Well done to you both! You two deserve all the happiness in the world."

Tara and Adrian smiled, and raised their glasses as well. Priscilla's eyes widened when she realised what was coming next.

"And the fourth...well, you all could tell who it was going to be. Priscilla, I still remember that day we first met. We were young, and bored of the business talk the grown-ups were making. Yet when we saw each other at that event, that night became a lot more exciting. After that, we spent quite a few days together, and finally, we were attending the same high school. That was when we finally became more than just friends. You were so cute, after our first kiss. You were giggling, and you were telling everyone you knew about where we were off to our first date." Nathan said.

_That's it…you can do this. Nathan, keep it up!_

"So then the time came for us to continue our studies. I applied for a university overseas, which is the very same one Tara and Adrian attended. While the cafeteria wasn't particularly good, the campus was filled with places for romantic moments - which was lucky for me, because Priscilla wanted to go there as well! We made good use of those places - but we did study, of course! We came back to the city, and ever since then, our lives have been almost perfect. I got the job at Albion Incorporated, and my father knows how hard I've been working at it. And making it even better, Priscilla joined me. She and I work together, live together...and she knows how to throw a party!" Nathan said.

"Nathan..." Priscilla said, anxious. She seemed to have an idea about what was going on.

"I love you, Priscilla. My, I certainly know how to make long-winded speeches! It's only a birthday, after all." Nathan said. Priscilla frowned. _What? You're not going to do it?!_

"Thank you...Nathan." Priscilla said, coldly. However, her disappointment turned to surprise when she saw Nathan walking towards her. "What - you mean you're -"

Nathan smiled, and without a word, pulled out a blue velvet box in one swift moment. Quickly, he got down on one knee, and opened the box. Inside was a gorgeous silver ring, with a sapphire stone on it. Breathing deeply, he spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.

"I know you've been waiting for this for years, but…I hope it was worth waiting for. Priscilla Lancaster, will you marry me?"

Priscilla was speechless, as Nathan continued to present the box. An uncomfortable silence filled the room. Finally, Priscilla smirked.

"...Yes, stupid! Of course I'll marry you!"

Nathan's face lit up with joy. No one doubted she would answer that way - after all, she had been part of his life for this long. He stood up, and was almost knocked to the ground by her sudden embrace. Amara quickly joined in with the cheering and clapping. She, Serena, Zao and Blaine looked on, proud. Nathan was moving on ahead with his life, and thanks to their battles together, Amara was here to see it.

"Whoa!" Nathan said. "Um...I'm glad you said yes."

"Was my answer worth waiting for?" Priscilla asked. "That's what you get, you jerk! I would have said yes ages ago!"

"You would?" Nathan said. "Priscilla, I should have realised...but from now on, our lives are going to be different. Now you're officially part of my family. Right, dad?"

".Right. Well done, my son!" Reginald said, wiping away a tear. He tightly hugged his son, proud. "Although I'm with Priscilla on this one. Why on earth did you put it off for so long? I was expecting this thousands of times! Christmas, New Years, and many birthdays. You kept getting me excited when you were talking about how amazing each new year would be..."

"Dad...I just needed to find the right time! Looks like I did, though." Nathan said. Amara smiled, as many guests came over to wish Nathan well. Priscilla proudly wore her ring, and hugged Tara.

"Now that was amazing." Lucy slurred. "Blaine, you should take some tips from Nathan!"

"Huh? What kinda tips?" Blaine asked.

"You know, on how to be a gentleman!" Lucy said. "How to eat without looking like a caveman! How to talk without swearing every five seconds!"

"Since that's the wine talking, I'm not gonna get offended. But I do know one way to be a gentleman!" Blaine said. Quickly, he kissed Lucy. "How about that?"

"Now that I do like. Phew..." Lucy said. "You know, I'm really gonna miss you when we're in Glasswater."

"Me too..." Blaine said, sadly. "I know it's only for a few days, but...oh well."

"Don't worry, I'll call you every day. Although we already do that, don't we?" Lucy said. "Come on, once we're done here, we'll go back to my place and -"

"Yikes." Serena said. "She _is _drunk. But oh my god! Nathan, I am so happy for you!" she hugged Nathan, who laughed it off.

"Yeah, man." Blaine said. "And you'll make a damn good husband."

"How come?" Nathan said.

"I know a good guy when I see one. So, tomorrow night! We're celebrating you still being in your twenties - for another 365 days - and your upcoming nuptials!" Blaine said.

"Sounds interesting. Me and Nathan haven't had a big night out for some time. I'd go, but I need to save up for our wedding." Adrian said. "Nathan, have you thought of a date yet?"

"Not just yet!" Nathan said. "I only just got around to doing this, but we shouldn't wait too long. Priscilla's done plenty of that for one lifetime!"

"Exactly!" Priscilla said, wrapping her arms around him. "You're all mine now! Mrs Priscilla Albion...I can't wait! This ring, this party, and you, Nathan! Everything's perfect now!"

"That's right! Everyone, I can safely say this is the best birthday ever!" Nathan said.

"To Nathan and Priscilla!" Reginald cheered.

"To Nathan and Priscilla!" everyone else cheered, raising glasses.

When Amara went home that night, she felt elated. Nathan had said he was waiting until the mess with the Shadows was over, but she was glad he changed his mind. Seeing him and Priscilla together made her smile - and everyone else was thrilled, too.

_September 1__st__, Motus Lounge_

"I didn't think we'd meet at your place of work." Nathan said.

"He can't tear himself away, can he?" Kaman said. "Of course, he does get the employee discount."

"...Yeah. That's, uh, one bonus." Blaine said, looking shifty. "Anyway, guess what? This guy's getting hitched!"

"Is that so? Well then, congratulations." Kaman said. "Trust me, you won't regret it for a second. Me and my wife have been married for eleven years now. Maria and I are closer than ever!"

"That's wonderful." Nathan said. The two men ordered their drinks, and looked around. The place was getting busier, possibly due to the special weekend deals Kaman had put on. "It's good to know this Kaman is happy."

"Yeah. Everything's perfect for him. Great job, hot wife, tons of friends...sort of like you." Blaine said.

"You sound jealous, Blaine." Nathan said. "I'm not married yet! I don't even know when we'll have the big day."

"Jealous...yeah." Blaine said. "I used to be really jealous of you. You had everything I didn't. Money, a great house, a job you loved doing, and someone you loved more than life itself."

"Oh..." Nathan said. "I'm just really lucky. Being in that other world taught me that."

"Same here. I'm lucky to have Dan. But even if I have to fight monsters for years and years, at least I got to meet you guys. And I dunno if I'm jealous anymore." Blaine said. "I work here now, and that's great fun. The money's not too bad, either. The house isn't all that bad, but it could use a good clean. And the love part? I think I found that, too."

"Are you that attached to Lucy?" Nathan asked. "That's nice to hear. I hope it goes well."

"Thanks, man. I do too. I was getting sick of being single, anyway." Blaine said. "It sounds fun being a bachelor at first, but it's freaking lonely. And I hate not being around people. Which is why we're out celebrating!"

"You know, I was thinking about that story my father told me. About me playing with a boy, whose father got into a fist fight with mine. I can just about remember it, but only when the boy asked to play with my toy boat." Nathan said. "I don't even remember his name. It's bugging me like crazy."

"Does it matter?" Blaine asked. "That was years ago! We're not boys anymore, we're men! Now you've got a real boat to play with! ...You do have one, right?"

"Haha! Not yet. I suppose I can use that for a honeymoon, though. I have an idea, Nathan. Serena and Amara are going to Glasswater soon, correct? It just so happens that my company is in the middle of a business deal with a company in that area, and I volunteered to represent us. Priscilla's coming with me, and I think there may be a spare seat left on that flight." Nathan said.

"Wait, what are you saying?" Blaine asked.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm buying you a plane ticket! So you and Lucy can enjoy a romantic break!" Nathan said.

"You mean it?" Blaine said. "Thanks, buddy! Beneath that silent, noble demeanour, you're one swell guy!"

"Don't mention it. You might want to clear it with Kaman, though." Nathan said.

"Clear what with me?" Kaman asked.

"Nathan here's buying me a plane ticket to this Glasswater place!" Blaine said. "I think Lucy said it'd be September 10th. Can I go? Please?" Kaman sighed, smiling, at Blaine's puppy dog eyes.

"Alright. I can't say no to that face. But you better give me the low down on the bar scene. You never know when you have a worldwide business." Kaman said. He served them their drinks, and went off to see to another group of guests.

"So..." Blaine said. "I know just where we'll go for the next three places. After that, it's up to you!"

"Just how many places are we going to?" Nathan asked.

"Hey, when you're out with me, it's never one or two." Blaine said. "Buckle up, partner. The two of us are having fun tonight. I dunno what we'll drink, who we'll meet, or how many boats we sink, but we're not wimping out! No way!"

Nathan gulped. Hopefully he'd make it through tonight in one piece. Right?

_Later that evening, in Purple Mirror_

Nathan had spent over half an hour dancing in the popular Purple Mirror club. It was known for the purple décor, combined with magic mirrors and coloured serving glasses. Nathan didn't exactly have much rhythm, but he didn't give one damn at all. He just laughed at the many women who stared at him, and downed the seventh drink of that evening.

"Oh there you are, you red-haired bastard!" Blaine said, hiccupping. "Where'd you go? I was getting us some shots!"

"I was having some fun!" Nathan said. "C'mon, join in! You look like you know how to throw some shapes!"

"You kiddin'? I've been coming to these kinds of places since I was sixteen!" Blaine said. "Fake ID is the way of the Kanaloa boys! And girls! Especially the girls!"

"Hey, look! That guy looks like me!" Nathan said, pointing at a mirror. "Holy shit! It's the me from the other world! Is something wrong?"

"The heck are you on, man? That's a mirror! This guy's drunk already, and it's only 1:40!" another man said. "Give this loser some dancing lessons, would ya?"

"Up yours!" Nathan said. "Screw'em! I can dance however I want! But first, let's have at those shots! I need a buzz!"

"I'm glad you say that. I got some tequila!" Blaine said. "All the way from Mexico!"

"Sweet! Hey, when did your other self lose those scars?" Nathan asked.

"That's a mirror..." Blaine said. After the two of them drank more tequila, they plucked up the courage to mix scotch and vodka. Nathan was having the time of his life, even if his dancing technique didn't exactly impress the other clubbers. However, they still drew the attention of some rather skimpy women, much to Blaine's delight. He was somewhat better at the dancing, even if he did have a purple lei around his neck.

"Okay, pardner! It's time for club number three! Ready?" Blaine asked. "It's great! They've got these gorgeous barmaids with fake leopard skins! You'll love it!"

"Sure thing! I love you, you drunk bastard!" Nathan said, hiccupping. The two of them put their arms around each other, ignoring some rather obnoxious comments as they staggered out of the club. As they made their way to the next club, Blaine started humming along to a jaunty tune. Nathan joined in, and soon, they began singing a rather explicit song involving sailors and girls from all around the world.

"Man..." Blaine said, as he was done. "I dunno where I even got that song from."

"Me neither. But you've got one heck of a voice when you're wasted...I could listen to you all night long!" Nathan said.

"All night? Perfect! Then let's stay out until five!" Blaine said.

"Sounds like a plan!" Nathan said. "But I'm getting hungry now..."

"No problem, there's a few burger bars around here still open! C'mon, let's go!" Blaine said.

_September 2__nd__, Blaine's Bedroom_

"Ugh...my head...dammit." Nathan moaned, as he finally woke up. He noticed several petals over his shirt, and his clothes were somehow wet. "Huh?" He checked the alarm clock next to him, and gasped. 11:30 am?! He had never woken up that late before. But then again, he had been drinking until five o'clock in the morning.

"Stop...stop ticklin' me, dammit..." Blaine mumbled, eyes shut. Nathan shook him, and Blaine reluctantly opened his eyes. "Oh...mornin'."

"Good morning, Blaine. Why are we in your bedroom? And why are our clothes wet?" Nathan said, gazing around. There were some old rock albums, empty bottles of Jack Daniels, various magazines scattered around, and what looked like broken motorcycle parts.

"I dunno, man. I don't even remember anything after two o'clock. Maybe we went for a early morning swim in our clothes...wouldn't be the first time." Blaine said, holding his head. "You weren't kidding. You do know how to party!"

"I guess I do!" Nathan said. "Can we get out of this bed? It's feeling more and more awkward every second..."

"But I'm sleepy..." Blaine said, yawning.

"No buts! I have to get home. Priscilla's probably concerned about me!" Nathan said, glaring. It was a struggle, but the hungover men slowly got downstairs. There, Dan was sitting on the sofa, reading the morning paper.

"Oh, there you two morons are. I heard you guys wake me up at 5:45 this morning!" Dan said, annoyed. "And you threw up all over the kitchen floor, you idiot!"

"I did?" Blaine said, confused. "Man...sorry, Dan."

"Wait, maybe it was me." Nathan said. "I can cover any damage I might have caused, no problem-"

"Don't bother. I already cleaned it up, but next time I'm gonna make Blaine do it." Dan said. "You idiots...I don't mind when it's me partying all night, but when I just want to lie down and relax, you fucking slam the door open, sing those dirty sailor songs about girls in every harbour, throw up god knows what in the kitchen, then I catch you in bed with another man!"

"Well, I didn't want to have him stay on the couch. And I was wasted like hell. Wait, what do you mean you caught us?!" Blaine said, scratching his head.

"I was about to storm in and yell at you when I saw you both! You two looked rather cosy..." Dan said.

"Sorry man, I'll make it up to ya. You and I can head out next week, maybe with Kaman and Roger too. And I'll pick up the tab, you got that?" Blainesaid.

"Fine." Dan said. "Also, your phones have been ringing all day. Go let Lucy and Priscilla know you two are okay, right? And Nathan, next time you go out with Blaine here, let me tag along. Then it'll be a real man's night out!"

"Yeah, I'm sure it will be!" Nathan said, awkwardly. Dan laughed, and headed upstairs.

"...Man, now I feel like shit. Lucy's probably worried like crazy." Blaine said. "Oh, how are you getting home?"

"I don't know, to be honest. I never expected to wind up in your house." Nathan said. "Your motorcycle is out of the question, and I can't expect Daniel to give me a lift."

"Daniel? C'mon, you've known him for months now! It's Dan!" Blaine said. "I called him Daniel once when we first met, and that's the only time. Dan's the man, or so he says."

"You two certainly are close. You're like brothers." Nathan said. "I'll call a taxi. I just hope I don't attract any attention when I go outside..."

"Hey..." Blaine said, arm around Nathan. "You get in trouble, I'll beat the living shit out of them! No one messes with my buddies!"

"Violence isn't the solution! ...But I do feel safer now." Nathan said, smiling. "First, though, I need to call Priscilla. You go and talk to Lucy. I have a feeling she's going to be rather infuriated about our shenanigans."

"Who's Shannon?" Blaine asked. Nathan frowned, but Blaine laughed. "I'm joking! I knew what you said. I just dunno what that word means..."

"Haha...you know, I loved last night. We will do this again, right?" Nathan asked. "I know we don't have that much in common, but -"

"That doesn't matter, you idiot! Of course we'll go out and get drunk again. You're a friend, not just a comrade. And when Serena's old enough, the four of us will go. Zao, Priscilla, Kyle and Lucy can join us too!" Blaine said.

"Sounds perfect." Nathan said. The two men called their retrospective partners, with Blaine having to apologise rather adamantly to an angry and emotional Lucy, and Nathan doing the same to a worried Priscilla. Finally, Nathan's cab arrived. Blaine followed, and kept an eye out.

"Yeah...we really are friends. We won't let Nihane do as he pleases. We're gonna have all the time in the world to hang out again." Blaine said to himself.

_Aeternus Headquarters, Hallway_

"Shirley!"

Shirley turned around, and sighed. Ever since the two of them had been reunited, Lucy had never left Shirley's side. This had been what they both wanted, after all. Yet something felt empty. It was like she left something special behind.

"Lucy!" Shirley said. "You're going outside on an official mission, aren't you?"

"Yeah. Carlos' orders." Lucy replied. "That guy is such a smarmy creep. I hate him, same with all the other almighty leaders. I wouldn't mind taking orders if I liked them, but…dammit! This is a worse drag than the stupid police station!"

"Lucy." Shirley said. "You say you hate the Ater Vox, right? Then why are you still following them?"

"Simple, I haven't got a choice. I'm not joining Blaine's team, not now! You know what he did after he became commander!" Lucy said.

"You're sure he wasn't telling you the truth?" Shirley said. "I mean, I really don't trust any of the Ater Vox either. Carlos did abduct me, after all."

"Oh, come on! Are you worried about that Dan guy?" Lucy said. "You can do way better than him. And I can do better than Blaine! I'm not scared at all, honestly!"

"Well...never mind. I'll let you go." Shirley said. "If only I could come with you…"

"C'mon, you've seen how powerful Inanna is. I'll be just fine!" Lucy said, clenching her first. Without anymore hesitation, she ran down the hall, nearly bumping into another employee.

"...Dan, huh?" Shirley said to herself. "I wonder what he's doing now..."

_Aeternus Headquarters, Secret Lab, September 2__nd__, 5:21pm_

It was another boring day at the lab. Tomas had gotten away with his fight against Carlos, so there were no repercussions for Rudo's safety. Yet, after using Nebiros in combat, he had noticed strange symptoms. He felt pains in his chest every now and then. Faint if he ignored them, agonising if he focused on them,and he was sure his heart was in perfect condition. Not only that, something else felt odd. Whenever the other Persona users were present at the lab, he felt uneasy. As if his very safety was at risk.

His Persona looked so strange, too. Whenever he saw it, he felt something deep within him. Pity, perhaps. What was stranger was...he felt so alive when fighting with his Persona. It felt good to have the same power that others had gained naturally. Why was this fake Persona so different than the others? Even if Tomas had used strong Shadows, a Persona was of very little power if it was comprised of the dark feelings of multiple people. Yet Nebiros felt like one person...

"I have to ask him. I can't risk having Nebiros any longer than I have to."

Rudo left his room, and found Tomas's office. He knocked on the door, only to hear aggravated sighs.

"What is it, Rudo!?" Tomas barked. "I have reports to look over!"

"I need to discuss Nebiros with you." Rudo said. "I know you said not to worry, but -"

"That's right. I did. And you're supposed to trust me." Tomas said, coldly. "Now if you don't want to insult my judgment, and dismantle our friendship, you'll believe me when I say that you will be fine."

"Alright." Rudo said. "Can you at least tell me some of the process you used to make Nebiros and Belial?"

"What good would telling you that do?" Tomas said, indignant. "The results were worthwhile. If we can adapt to our new power, we can aid your daughter in battle. Knowing how Nebiros and Belial came into being won't change anything at all."

"Fine." Rudo said. "I want the fighting to end soon. The sooner I can rid myself of this power, the better."

"Unfortunately, Rudo, you're stuck with it." Tomas said. "That Persona isn't quite like the stock ones issued to the Ornatu Legion. Once it's attached, there is no removal. Even if you were to escape to a place without any Shadows whatsoever, you would still feel the effects of it inside you."

"What?!" Rudo shouted. He tried to force the door open, but it wouldn't budge. "But if I have this thing in me for much longer, it'll kill me!"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures. Leaving everything to the natural Persona using group may sound grand and all, but the power Nihane Kronos commands is far stronger. That is why I created Nebiros and Belial. We need to survive in this dog-eat-dog world." Tomas said. "This is why we have to hurry up. We still need one more Persona user - the Fortune. If we don't find him or her soon enough, Amara will lose her father for good."

"You idiot! We should have found another way!" Rudo said. "Is there no way we can save ourselves?! I can't die yet! My daughter is only twenty one years old! I'm not ready to join Ayodele yet!"

"Will you shut up?!" Tomas screamed. "I know what I'm doing! Life is full of sacrifices. Your life may end soon, but the power of Nebiros will lead to the downfall of Aeternus! Your Amara can find freedom and peace once and for all. She may even be as happy as the one in that other world. A harmonious, care-free city...that is what my experimentation is aiming for! So just place your trust in me, Rudo. That is, of course, if you're willing to remain my friend."

"I have no choice. But I cannot tell Amara. You cannot, either." Rudo said. "Why aren't you opening the door?"

"I'm looking at sensitive documents." Tomas said. "I need to go over something very important, and I have to concentrate. Don't worry, I'll be done in about an hour."

"Right. I'll see you later, then." Rudo said. He glared at the door separating him and Tomas, and raised his fist.

_Damn you! You're not the man I called a friend once. You're not the man I could trust my daughter with. You're insane!_

Rudo returned to his room, and laid down in his bed. Perhaps reading a book would take his mind off things. There was no telling when his artificial power would kill him, but it didn't seem like it would happen soon. As he began reading, he felt something in his head. It was a voice separate from his own, but it felt like a thought.

_What are you doing with those things?! No, get away from her! Stop...can't you see her crying?! Let her go!_

This...what was this? Rudo couldn't fathom why he was hearing these thoughts. Then, it hit him. "Of course...Nebiros."

Suddenly, he started hearing bits and pieces of...what sounded like a horror film. He couldn't see anyone else around him. More memories...

"Hahaha! Look, you two! That's what it looks like when you rip someone's throat out!" a man said.

"You...bastard...she's...she's... Brad, do something!" said the same voice from earlier.

"Nick, I...I can't...he...my legs can't move..." said another man. 'Brad' was apparently his name. Which meant the thoughts he had been hearing must have belonged to 'Nick'.

"See what happens to weaklings?!" the violent man said. "Now you two are comin' with me. You're not going anywhere until you tell me where your treasure is! Not that you can, after what I did to you! Hehehe..."

"...Why?!" Rudo wailed. "Why am I hearing these things? Why won't it stop?!"

_No...he'll do to us what he did to her...she...no...how could he...she's not dead...right!? Someone...wake me up...this isn't happening!_

Finally, it was over. Rudo gazed at his reflection in the mirror, and brushed away the sweat from his forehead. So, that was it. Tomas had used Shadows that originated from a person named Nick. If this was how Nebiros was made, what about Belial?

"...Brad." Rudo said.

From what he knew, Brad and Nick had suffered greatly before they had died. This must have led to the appearance of powerful Shadows, formed entirely of their own personality. In essence, this made them akin to Personas.

So this was Rudo's fate. Until the day he died, he would have to listen to these awful memories. Of Brad and Nick's torture at the hands of a crazed madman, and the loss of a female acquaintance. And this power would kill him sooner or later. He had already promised his daughter he would be alright, but…would he have to break that promise? If he were to die before the Shadow nightmare ended, then...Amara might not be able to go on.

"I can't let that happen!" Rudo said. "There has to be something I can do."

He got out a piece of paper and his best pen, and furiously started to write. The words that flowed from the ink were ones he did not imagine ever having to say to someone, especially not his daughter. Yet, they had to be said. Every second counted now. If he couldn't rid himself of Nick, then he had to make the best of this predicament.

"Damn you, Tomas. I will _never _forgive you for this!"

* * *

**AN:** Yes, for those of you that have been reading Persona: The Nameless by MoldyJellyBean, my characters will indeed be travelling to that story's setting for several days. It'll be sort of like the class trip in Persona 4 to Iwatodai/Tatsumi Port Island. If you haven't been reading it, then I reccomend you do. Don't worry, neither story will have a major effect on the other, this is just a collab between us. Stay tuned!


End file.
